In Between White and Black
by bookwormgirl69
Summary: A halfling wishes to escape her world and live in another, one that is nicer and friendlier than her own. She manages to fulfill her desire and decides to live in the Gray Garden forever, but her God wants her to return for whatever reason, despite being greatly hated by him and the people, her friend being the only exception. Why does he want her back so badly for?
1. The Halfling

**Hey everybody! I'm back, for the moment. My second year of college is kicking my butt right now. I barely have any time to write my stories because in one of my classes I have to write a report every week. I was surprised about that fact and frankly I'm upset right now. But I gotta do it to pass. This semester is really stressful but I'm trying my best powering through.**

 **So, enough about my life. This story is a fanfic of** _ **The Gray Garden.**_ **If you don't know what it is, where have you been all your life? It's like the greatest RPG game out there! For those of you who don't know, it's a game where angels and demons live together in harmony. There's more to the story but I don't want to reveal too much because there's too much to explain, and it would be better if you experienced it yourself. I highly recommend that you play the game yourself or watch a walkthrough on YouTube. The art is really cute and the plot is excellent. All right, on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Gray Garden**_ **. Mogeko/ Deep-Sea Prisoner owns it. The only characters I own are the upcoming ones that I don't want to reveal in this sentence.**

* * *

 _In this certain universe, there are many types of worlds with different compositions. Some are pitch black, others engulfed in flames, and some that are barren wastelands. They are all occupied by demons and angels, but in each world they are as different as their worlds. There are rumors that there is a single world where angels and demons live together peacefully. Even their God and Devil were rumored to be more than acquaintances unlike other worlds' Gods and Devils._

 _Almost all citizens in their worlds are content living in it. All but one. This specific being wishes to leave her world and live a different life, a better life._

* * *

In Desolate Metropolis of the world, Desolate Wasteland, the citizens went about their day. They didn't really interact with one another. They only sent wary and menacing glares and went on their way. The populace usually kept to themselves. If they so much as brushed shoulders, they would break into a fight, one person coming out alive. Anybody watching wouldn't even be disturbed or concerned about the dead body.

This world was absolutely dreary. Everything was in the color of sickly gray; the houses, the nearby forest, even the people's personalities. They were all monotonous, nothing differing them apart besides their powers. The angels were about as violent as the demons, if not more. There was no sun or moon to tell day from night, just floating orbs of ghostly light that light up when it's "daytime" and go out when it's "nighttime".

But there was one thing that all the citizens had in common that made them have the same reaction. A flying creature shadowed by the darkness flew above the metropolis in the direction of the castle. The people growled at the creature and threw objects at it, but it easily dodged them with grace. The citizens could easily fly to the creature and beat up the mysterious being themselves, but they thought it wouldn't be worth the effort.

The creature continued to fly towards the floating castle. It circled around the grandeur structure from a distance, searching for something. Its eyes brightened as it spotted what it was looking for and descended with elegance.

An angel with midnight black- feathered wings and a gray halo was casually sitting on a wall, overlooking the inner courtyard with a bored expression. A giant steel broadsword was strapped to his back. He wore a tight black tank top with baggy silver pants. A chain hung down from his pants and spiked bracelets adorned his bone-white wrists and neck.

His ears twitched when he heard flapping sounds coming towards him. He was about to stand up and take out his sword, his hand poised to grasp his sword's handle, when a familiar voice called out to him.

"Hey Crimson!"

His heart skipped a beat when he heard an angelic voice say his name. He put down his hand and looked up to the direction of the flapping wings. His crimson red eyes glinted with happiness as he smirked at the creature.

"Hey, Arbil," he greeted in a deep, baritone tone. "What's up with you?"

Arbil lightly landed on the wall next to her friend, her bare feet barely making a sound. Her long raven black hair streaked with silver trailed behind her like a silk cloth flowing in the wind. A single braid fell over her left shoulder and her yellow halo rested on the side of her head. Her simple black dress framed the curves of her body. Her mismatched wings were the only unique features that set her apart from everyone else in her world. Every person in her world were either a full demon or angel, but not Arbil. She was both and her wings showed it. Her left wing was an angel wing, all feathers and pure white as snow. Her right wing was a leathery, black bat wing with a curved claw at the tip.

She smiled brightly at her only best friend as she sat down. "Nothing much. I was bored, so I thought I should come by and visit you."

"I appreciate your concern," said Crimson, "but you know you're not supposed to be here. _He_ will find out."

The hybrid frowned. "Yes, I know. I even took a risk flying over the city while everyone was out and about." Her frown changed to a smile when she turned her head to Crimson. "But I really wanted to see you since it's been awhile."

Crimson's heartrate sped up at her kind words, but hid it well behind his composed façade. Arbil was the only person that shared his viewpoints about hating this world. They were completely different from the rest of the populace, so they always stuck together. They've been friends since they were little, and over time, Crimson started falling in love with Arbil. He didn't show it often as much as he would like to. He knew that she didn't share the same feelings, so he kept it to himself. But he was perfectly content just having her by his side.

Crimson scoffed. "It's only been a few days."

"It felt like an eternity to me."

The two laughed lightly, feeling like they were the only two bright lights in the void of darkness. But the cheerful atmosphere was shattered by a voice that was respected and feared by all.

"Well, what do we have here?"

The two looked down at the ground where the voice came from. The person had his arms crossed with a sneer on his face. The person had gray, tousled hair that was spiky in various places. He wore a gray shirt under a black trench coat, his tie undone and wrapped around his neck. He also wore black dress pants and pointy black shoes studded with silver. A skull and crossbones necklace complimented the outfit.

"Your Holiness!" Crimson said, not sensing his presence.

He threw himself off the wall and landed before the being, immediately getting on one knee and bowing his head. The person looked at Crimson for a second, then lifted his gaze to Arbil. She slightly flinched back at his intense stare. She hated how he was practically demanding with his eyes that she had to do the same thing as Crimson. Every fiber of her being wanted to refuse, but she had no choice. She couldn't go against him.

With less enthusiasm, she pushed herself off the wall and landed right next to Crimson. She got on one knee and dipped her head.

"Your Holiness," Arbil replied with hidden disdain.

The only reason that the two beings were bowing before the person was because he was Revlis, the God of their world. He ordered that anybody in his presence had to bow to him, and refer to him as "Your Holiness". They had a Devil as well, but he rarely involved himself in his world's affairs.

Revlis stared at Arbil with his melted gold orbs then turned to Crimson. "Crimson, what are you doing hanging out with this thing?" The God said "thing" with a hiss. "You know she's not allowed here."

Crimson tensed as his God insulted his friend. He wanted to rip out his sword and attack anyone that dare to insult his secret love, but refrained. He was powerful, but not powerful enough to beat a god.

Arbil stayed where she was, simply brushing off the taunt. She was used to it. What she didn't understand was why Revlis seemed to despise her more than the citizens. His hate and disgust for her seemed to go beyond of her just being different. She was no threat; she didn't have any powers or weapons, just her claws on her right hand, so why does he hate her so?

Before Crimson could respond to defend his friend, Arbil spoke up. "I'm sorry, Your Holiness. I just wanted to greet a friend."

Revlis growled. "You have no friends, halfling. I don't understand why you think that. Leave now, before I get angry. And don't come back here again or else."

Arbil nodded her head solemnly. "Yes, Your Holiness."

She stood upright and walked a few steps away, not glancing to Crimson even once. His heart broke a little as he couldn't protect his friend. She spread her mismatched wings and took flight, heading back to her home in the Dead Woods.

* * *

 **And that's it for now! I am currently working on the second chapter, but I don't know when I'll post it. I'm very busy this week, studying for an organic chemistry exam, and also trying to have fun with homecoming around the corner. Anyway, review please and have a nice day!**


	2. Escape from Prison

**Hey everybody! I get to relax for a little bit from school work because I finished an exam last Friday. Other than not, not much stuff is going on for me. Here is another update of** _ **In Between White and Black.**_

 **Disclaimer: Gray Garden belongs to Mogeko/ Deep Sea Prisoner.**

* * *

Later that day, in the Dead Woods, near a small, shambled hut, Arbil was angrily throwing stones into a murky pond.

"Uhh, I don't know what his deal with me is," she grumbled as she watched the ripples. "He's always degrading me like I'm some worthless object not even worthy of stepping on."

Although Revlis threatened to kill her for trespassing, it wasn't her first time doing it. She visited Crimson plenty of times, and Revlis always caught them and threatened her but never went through with it. He was a god; he could kill her.

Arbil sighed. "If I'm such a thorn in his side, why doesn't he just kill me to please everybody?"

A sad frown etched onto her face as she gazed at her reflection. The two winged appendages on her back reminded her of why people hated her, Crimson being the only exception. She accepted a long time ago who she was, but sometimes she hated even herself and contemplated taking her own life, but never went through with it. Her own parents didn't want her. She was abandoned the day she was born, but someone rescued her and raised her in the woods, away from everyone. The woman never gave Arbil her name, so the hybrid dubbed her "caretaker". Her caretaker at times said she didn't like Arbil either, but she wasn't cruel enough to leave a baby alone. Arbil, when she was really young, also noticed that her caretaker never said "hated", so she knew that the older woman had a heart under her cold exterior.

Her caretaker taught her how to hunt and survive in the woods at a very young age. Sometimes Arbil would hurt herself and cry about it, but the older woman wouldn't care. She would simply brush it off and urge Arbil to continue. She even gave Arbil her name.

One day, when Arbil was a bit older and somewhat capable of handling herself, her caretaker disappeared. Arbil searched high and low for her, but she left no trace. She was upset and sad at first for being abandoned again, but when she got over it, she was very grateful for her caretaker. She wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for her.

Her temporary smile turned into a snarl as her past after her caretaker left and most recent events of today resurfaced, reminding her why she was angry in the first place. She slashed at her reflection with her claws, obscuring her image.

Arbil stood up and turned to leave until she heard another splash. She turned around and saw ripples coming from the center. The hybrid narrowed her green eyes in suspicion as the pond was quiet again.

 _I didn't throw anything in the pond this time,_ she thought. _So what made that splash?_

She turned back and only took a step forward when she heard a splash again. The hybrid swiftly twisted her head back to the pond to see what was causing those movements, but whatever it was quickly dove back underwater. This time, she fully turned to the murky pond and took slow, cautious steps towards it, all her senses on high alert.

Just when she was about to crane her head over the surface, a huge gaping mouth burst out of the water. She quickly recoiled back before her head could get bitten off. Arbil flapped her wings so that she could gain some distance from whatever tried to attack her. She let out a gasp when she saw the creature's appearance as it landed in front of her with a loud thud. It was a giant lobe-finned fish with scales that looked hard as steel. Its eyes were snake green and it had razor sharp teeth.

Arbil growled under her breath when it started charging towards her, using its fins as legs. Monsters attacked her frequently, so she wasn't afraid. She was just even more upset that it caught her in a bad mood. She would quickly finish off this beast and go sulk back home.

Arbil flew up when the fish threw itself at her, missing her. She glided around it, trying to spot a kink in its armor but found no weak points.

 _Guess I'll just have to slice it up,_ she thought as she extended her claws.

Arbil dove toward the fish and slashed at the scales. She shrieked in pain as her claws bounced off of them. She held her injured hand to her chest as she flew up again just as the fish turned to her. Once at a safe distance, she took a look at her hand and hissed as she tried to flex it. Her nails were jagged from the impact. The shock of the force caused her bones to break, resulting in a bloody hand.

Now Arbil was afraid. Her claws were her only defense, and now she was defenseless. She could lead the monster to the town and let the citizens handle it, but she didn't want anyone to get hurt. As much as they hate her, she didn't hate them. That much.

 _I gotta get this thing away from here,_ she thought as the fish started trudging to her.

The hybrid flew away from her hut, still holding her injured hand. The fish followed, tearing down everything in its path.

 _At least it can't catch me up here._

As soon as Arbil finished that thought, something sticky and moist wrapped around her ankle. She looked down and flinched in disgust as it was a tongue. She followed it and found that it came from the fish monster.

"You gotta be kid-"

Her sentence was replaced by a scream as she was roughly pulled to the ground at high velocity. She grunted in pain when the dust settled, her whole body aching in pain. Before she could regain her strength, the fish picked her up and threw her against a tree, the base of her wings taking the hit.

Arbil's breath left her body as she dropped to the ground, stunned by the hit to her spine. She whimpered as she wasn't able to move or protect herself. Thankfully, the tongue was gone but now the fish monster was coming towards her, probably going to eat her.

She closed her eyes when the razor sharp teeth were right above her, accepting her fate.

"Arbil!"

Her name rung out through the air as a familiar voice called out. The hybrid felt a rush of air then the fish screeched a horrible sound. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Crimson standing protectively in front of her, his back to her. His sword was out, engulfed in black and red fire. Demonic fire.

"Cri… Crimson," Arbil replied weakly, her voice a whisper.

"Hold on just a bit longer, Arbil. I'll finish off this monster."

After recovering from the pain, the fish monster shot its tongue at Crimson. He brought down his flame sword and cut off the pink appendage before it could touch him. The fish recoiled, letting out another ear-splitting screech.

The black-winged angel dashed to the monster. "Don't mess with my friend, monster!"

Crimson brought down his sword, performing a mighty slash and cutting the beast in half, easily cutting through its scale armor like butter. It twitched one last time before lying motionless. The demonic fire dissipated and Crimson placed his sword on his back. He ran back to Arbil who was still lying on the ground.

"Arbil, are you okay?" he asked as he carefully cradled her in his arms.

The hybrid groaned and looked up at her friend. "Yeah, somewhat. I was stunned for a few minutes, but I can move normally now. My hand though…"

She trailed off as her gaze moved to her right hand. Crimson followed it and softly gasped at its broken state. He gently grasped it, inspecting it from every angle.

"How did it happen?"

"I wasn't strong enough to cut through its tough scales, so my claws and hand broke."

Crimson narrowed his eyes in anger, silently blaming himself for not saving her sooner. But he let it pass.

He stood up with Arbil still in his arms, careful not to move too much to cause her more pain. "Let's go back to your place so that I can heal your wounds."

"All right," Arbil responded, resting her head against his broad chest.

When they reached her hut, Crimson placed Arbil on her sleeping mat and left to quickly retrieve medicinal herbs and bandages from his home before returning. He treated her hand with care without damaging it more.

"Your claws should grow back in a week," Crimson explained while finishing wrapping her entire hand. "Your hand though will take a few more weeks."

"Thanks Crimson," Arbil smiled, her lips not reaching her ears. "For saving me and healing my hand."

He grinned back. "No problem."

"I wish I didn't have to trouble you. That monster was stronger than the others I usually fight against. I thought I could handle it."

"It's no trouble, really."

Arbil merely hummed in reply, her eyes staring at her bandaged hand with longing.

Crimson's smile fell to a thin line as he observed his friend's expression. "Arbil, is something troubling you? Was it what Revlis said? You rarely let anything get to you."

The hybrid shook her head, her long hair swaying with the movement. "No, it's not that. I'm just tired. Tired of living in this dreary world, tired of being ridiculed." She sighed forlornly. "I wish I could escape from this prison and never come back."

Crimson's red orbs averted to the side as he contemplated Arbil's wish. An idea immediately popped into his head, but he quickly shot it down as soon as it appeared. Not only was it a terrible idea, but it could get them both killed. But seeing his close friend so depressed made his heart break, so he made his decision.

"I might have an idea on how you can get out of here," said Crimson.

Arbil looked up at him, hope glinting in her emerald irises. "You do?"

The black-winged angel didn't turn to her; he continued staring off into the other direction. "I can't be sure right now, but I'll look into it more. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

Arbil squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around Crimson's neck, nearly toppling him over. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Crimson!"

He broke out of his calm façade, a pink blush decorating his cheeks. "D-Don't thank me yet," he stumbled a bit. "I still have to do some research."

Arbil beamed. "I know that you'll pull through. You always do."

Crimson blushed more at her praise. He allowed her to hold onto him a little longer, relishing in her comforting warmth until he forced himself to detach from her and head to his own home.

* * *

True to Crimson's prognosis, Arbil's claws grew back good as new within a week, but her hand was still disabled. Luckily, no monsters appeared so her hand was allowed to heal. Every so often, Crimson came by and gave her updates on whatever he found, which was to say nothing. Arbil would be depressed for a second, but would cheerfully assure Crimson that he would find something. He would simply nod back, but became elated inside by her encouragement, spurring his determination.

One night, Arbil was sleeping on her mat, a thin sheet covering her. She was sleeping soundly until she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She groaned and tried to shift away from it, but it persisted. Getting slightly annoyed, she peeled open one eye to see who would dare disturb her slumber.

When her vision focused, she saw Crimson's bright red irises in the darkness. Arbil's lips quirked into a small, tired grin. "Oh Crimson, it's you."

"Sorry Arbil, but you need to get up."

"Why?" she inquired while rubbing her eyes.

"I'll explain when we get there. Just follow me."

Arbil sat up and stretched as Crimson left the hut. She should have been suspicious for his sudden appearance at her home at night and him not telling her where they were going, but she completely trusted him, so she didn't question anything.

Once Arbil was by his side, Crimson conjured his demonic fire in his hand to light up their way. He pushed off the ground and flew towards the town, Arbil right beside him. When they reached the city, the hybrid noticed they weren't descending, so it seemed they were heading to the floating castle. She opened her mouth to ask Crimson why they were going there, but closed it to not risk anyone hearing them.

They flew a bit higher to reach the top floors and circled around to the back. Crimson flew to a window and carefully opened it, peeking inside to see if anybody was there. He signaled to Arbil to enter first. She swooped in and landed lightly on the floor. Crimson followed and closed the window behind him.

Arbil took in the surroundings. They were in a long corridor with high windows on the left and doors on the right. The floor was designed with black and white tiles that reflected light from ghostly orbs in chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Marble statues of monsters lined both sides of the hall, their faces and positions posed as if ready to attack anyone, friend or foe.

"Wow," she said as she admired the décor. "I've never seen this part of the castle."

"Me either," responded Crimson as he continued ahead. "I've never been assigned to this wing, so I don't know it well."

"So, why are we here at night?" Arbil asked as she followed.

"So that no one can catch us for what we are about to do. You know how I told you that I think there might be a way out of here?" At Arbil's nod, the black-winged angel continued. "Well, after my shift, I returned to the castle several times when everybody left and explored it. It took a while, but I finally found the thing that I heard about one time. I discovered a room that is filled with portals that goes to other worlds. I didn't know which portal went where, so I went to the secret archives in the library to research about them."

Arbil's eyes lighted up. "There are other worlds besides this one?"

"Yeah, I was honestly surprised myself that my theory was right. I guess Revlis uses them to travel to other worlds, and kept them hidden so nobody could leave this world."

They continued walking until Crimson stopped at a certain door. He opened it with ease and Arbil's eyes widened even more in surprise. There were different colored floating orbs scattered about in the room, much bigger than the ghostly lights. She didn't possess any magic, but she could sense that the orbs were brimming with it, each of them emanating their own special essence.

The hybrid followed her friend in a daze as she kept on twisting her head everywhere, admiring the worlds that she could possibly go to and love, a different place that was much better than the one she was residing in now.

Crimson paused at an orb that emanated the most energy out of all of them, colors of a rainbow shimmering off of it. Arbil suddenly felt comforting warmth and other positive emotions envelope her as she stood in front of it. For some odd reason, her heart was telling her that this was the world she desired and where she truly belonged.

"This orb represents the Gray Garden," Crimson explained. "It's a world where angels and demons live together in harmony."

"Oh yeah, I've heard rumors about it. So it is true."

Crimson tapped the orb and it expanded into a doorway of light. "Now, you'll be able to leave."

Arbil smiled brightly at the idea of finally leaving this terrible world, but it fell as she realized that he said "you".

"Wait, you're not coming with me?"

Crimson smiled sadly as he couldn't follow his secret love. "I'm afraid not. As much as I hate this world, I can't go with you. Revlis will notice my absence since I work in the castle, and someone has to close the portal from this side because you're not powerful enough."

"Then I won't leave," Arbil protested. "Revlis may hate me, but he'll notice my absence as well. When he notices I'm gone, he'll come after you."

"Arbil, really, I'll be fine," Crimson persisted. "I'll be able to hold on my own. You, not so much."

"Yeah, but-"

"What are you doing in here?"

A cold shiver went down her spine as the hybrid heard a familiar voice, its tone threateningly low and growly. The two beings turned to the door and found their God glaring murderously at them. His glare was so intense that Arbil took a step back in fear. Crimson cursed under his breath.

"I don't know how you two found this room, but you're not leaving alive."

Shadows as black as night twisted around Revlis. Before they could move a muscle, the shadows rushed toward Arbil. They slashed at her skin, throwing her across the room. She grunted as she struck the wall. The shadows formed into a giant spear and moved with incredible speed to impale Arbil, but she flapped her wings in a mighty swoop to dodge it. The shadows disbanded and pursued her as she flew around the room.

Crimson touched his blade with his demonic fire, encasing it in fire. He slashed at the base of the shadows, causing them to disappear. Revlis growled and conjured more shadows, this time aiming at the black-winged angel. He swiped his sword across, flames sprouting out and destroying the shadows.

While Revlis was distracted by Crimson, Arbil dived down and slashed the God's shoulder. Revlis cried out in pain as Arbil fell to the ground clutching her clawed hand to her chest. She knew that her hand hadn't fully healed and she most likely broke it again, but she had to risk attacking him to slow him down.

Clutching his injured shoulder with his free hand, Revlis growled at Arbil. "You insufferable wench!"

Before she could dodge them, shadows sharp as knives pierced through her arms, legs, and wings. She cried out in excruciating pain as she was thrown back next to Crimson. The black-winged angel stared in horror at his friend's broken state. Blood started flowing from the wounds, pooling around her. Her face was quickly turning ashen from the blood loss. Her harsh and irregular panting was the only sign to him that she was still alive, but barely.

Crimson's attention swiftly shifted back to Revlis as he sensed more shadows coming towards him. He arced his sword in a wide circle in front of him.

"Fire Shield!"

A shield of demonic fire formed in front of him, protecting him from the attack.

He kneeled beside Arbil. "Arbil, can you hear me?"

The hybrid struggled to open her eyes, her vision dotted with black spots. "Yeah," she responded weakly, "but I don't know… how much longer… I can hold on."

Crimson growled low, clenching his teeth. He could escape with Arbil but they might not have another opportunity, and would be killed for sure. His red orbs hardened in resolve as he made his choice.

He carefully picked up Arbil. "Okay Arbil, you really need to leave."

"But… but what about you?"

"I told you, I'll be fine. When you get to the Garden, stay there and don't come back."

"Wait. Crimson-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence as Crimson threw her into the portal. Her last sight was her only friend looking at her with a sad expression. Her world was white for a second before it turned black.

* * *

 **And that's it for now. I might update around Thanksgiving, but I'm not too sure. Just check for updates. Please review and have a nice day!**


	3. Welcome to the Gray Garden!

**Hey everybody! I feel like it's been forever since I've updated when in actuality, it's only been over a month. Currently, my organic chemistry and physics classes are kicking my butt. I'm barely pushing through and finals are really close. Hopefully, a miracle will appear and I'll pass with at least a C.**

 **So enough about my terrible college life. I've already written three more chapters of this story. I just have to edit them and I'll post them after I finish my semester. I hope all of you are faring better than I am. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **P.S I am fully aware that Mogeko said that Etihw is genderless, so they refer to Etihw as 'they', but they are predominately female so Etihw is going to be referred to as a 'she'. I know that they are some people that are really hung up on having Eti called 'they'. Just letting you know that I do know, but for the purpose of this story, Eti will have a definite gender.**

 **Disclaimer: Mogeko/ Deep-Sea Prisoner own Gray Garden.**

* * *

Arbil opened her eyes to slits to see her surroundings. She was still free-falling in the black void, the whistling of air and the fluttering of her tattered dress in her ears, the only sounds produced. It felt like she was falling forever into a bottomless pit. At this point, Arbil couldn't feel her body, no pain running through. She was barely hanging on to consciousness as she felt herself flickering in and out like a low flame.

Her faded eyes moved to the front as she saw a small light appear out of nowhere, the light getting brighter as she fell closer to it. She wondered to herself if she died a while ago without knowing and was now heading to the afterlife.

Arbil closed her eyes as she passed through the luminous gate. She felt nothing for a split second, then felt a shift in her environment. Before she could open her eyes again to see what changed, she crashed to the ground, rolling around a bit before stopping. She groaned loudly as pain once again for the umpteenth time coursed through her body. At least that meant she was still alive.

The hybrid struggled to open her eyes, only to close them swiftly when she was assaulted by a very intense light, nothing that she's ever seen before. She hissed loudly and used her injured angel wing as a shield to block out the light. With great difficulty, she curled into a ball, all the while groaning and moaning and cursing under her breath. With every passing second, she felt herself falling into unconsciousness. Arbil silently prayed that somebody will help her before passing out.

* * *

Yosafire happily skipped through the Beginning Forest as she made her way back to the Gray Village. The fire demon hummed a song to herself as she enjoyed her vibrant and colorful world. A group of birds flew above in the endless blue sky. Puffy clouds leisurely floated by, dotting the ground with shadows constantly on the move. Leaves and petals danced in the gentle breeze, the sound of the trees rustling adding to the music of nature. Flutterbys flew between flowers, not having a single care in the world and not caring if they get attacked by a random person earning experience points. Ever since the invasion of the Flame Underworld, Yosafire had a much greater appreciation for her home, nearly losing it forever.

As she thought about what she wanted to do with Froze today, she paused as she heard something falling from the sky and crashing to the ground. Yosafire turned to the direction the sound came from.

"Huh? What was that? It sounded like it came from the flower garden."

She stood there for a minute, deciding whether to check on it herself, or get Froze then come back. Yosafire didn't think twice about her choice.

"Let's check it out!"

With much vigor, the fire demon ran back to flower garden using the winding paths. She slowed her pace down as she saw a strange figure curled up on the ground. She was cautious at first, thinking it might be another intruder intended to harm her home, but upon closer inspection she changed her mind. The figure was badly damaged with gaping holes and dried blood all over the body. Dirt covered the body as well. Yosafire crouched down next to the person and gently moved the angel wing to see the person's face. Her face was really pale, probably from blood loss. Her chest rose and fell, her breathing quiet and irregular, indicating the stranger was still alive.

Yosafire's eyes widened in curiosity as she noticed the different wings on the person's back. She reached out to touch them, but immediately pulled back.

Yosafire shook her head. "No, no! Don't get distracted, Yosafire. This person needs help right now."

She pulled out her cell phone and called Froze.

"Yosaf?" a calm and expressionless voice asked.

"Hey Froooze," Yosafire drawled cheerfully. "Listen, can you come to the flower garden?"

"Why," Froze questioned suspiciously.

Yosafire glanced at the still person. "I think it would be better explained if you actually come here."

Froze was quiet for a few seconds, then she sighed. "All right. I'm on my way."

"Thanks, Froze!"

Yosafire hung up and watched the stranger intently as she waited for Froze, making sure she remained alive. Within a few minutes, the ice angel arrived.

"Yay, you're finally here," Yosafire greeted as she stood upright.

Froze simply nodded her head to her friend and glanced at the figure on the ground. She stopped mid-step as she observed the appearance of the stranger, mainly the wings.

"Yosafire, who is this?"

The fire demon shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I heard a noise in the garden and found her like this."

The ice angel narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Well, whoever she is, she's not from our world. She's probably another intruder coming to invade our world."

"I don't think so," Yosafire disagreed. "She came heavily injured and she doesn't look threatening at all."

"That's what she probably wants us to think. She will act harmless but as soon as our guards are down, she'll attack us."

"Even if that's true, we can't leave her like this. She's dying; that's why I called you."

"Yosafire, we don't know who she is," Froze persisted. "I've never seen anyone like her. She could be dangerous."

Yosafire clasped her hands together in a pleading manner. "Please! Pretty please with carrots on top!"

Froze wanted so badly to refuse her friend's request, but she couldn't resist those heart-shaped eyes.

"Fine, I'll heal her."

"Yay!" Yosafire threw her arms in the air. "Thank you, Froze!"

The ice angel blushed light pink. "Yeah, yeah." She placed her hands on the intruder's body and used her healing magic to close most of the wounds. "This is all I can do now. I can heal her more back in the village. We should also call Etihw and Kcalb to let them know that another otherworldly is here."

"Okay," Yosafire said as she helped Froze pick up the stranger, both of them supporting her on either side. "And don't worry Froze. I can tell that she's a really good person."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

Deep in the hybrid's subconscious, Arbil was floating in infinite black space lying face up, her eyes closed. A while ago, she felt her entire body was tense like a coiled spring, her face scrunched up in discomfort. The next thing she knew, a calming energy encased her body and she felt herself relaxing, her muscles uncoiling. Her pained scowl was replaced by a serene smile as she embraced the tranquil feeling. The pain wasn't completely gone, but she felt much better than she did since she left her world.

Arbil continued to rest easy for however long until she heard voices. They were incoherent, very faint voices but they penetrated her calm bubble. The hybrid wanted to stay under longer, but her brain was slowly regaining consciousness, so she obeyed it.

She moaned tiredly as she slowly lifted her eyelids. Her blurred vision saw a ceiling that was made out of brown wood. She was about to shift her eyes to the side until a brightly-smiled face popped up right in her face. If Arbil wasn't still exhausted, she would have sunk back on whatever she was lying on.

"Hey, you're finally awake!" the person above her stated excitedly.

Arbil blinked a few times to clear her vision. Her emerald eyes widened at the colorful person in front of her. The girl was a demon from her bat wings and heart tail, but what surprised Arbil was her color scheme and clothes. The demon girl had neck-length green apple hair, the underside pink. She had one horn, red and in a triangular shape on the left side of her head, a red beret on the other side. Low red-trimmed glasses framed her face. She wore a dark red sweater with a yellow crucifix necklace. Her wings and tail were also pink and green.

"Um… hello," Arbil greeted neutrally.

"Yosafire, don't stand over so close to her," another voice scolded her.

"Oh, sorry," the aforementioned demon apologized to Arbil and the other person, then stood up straight.

The hybrid twisted her head to the side to see the other occupant. She was astonished by the angel's design as well. She had blond hair and ice blue eyes. On top of her head was a gray hat with a domino piece on it. Under the two pigtails, domino earrings hung from her ears. She wore a small gray and white vest with six buttons on top. A large gray skirt covered her black leggings, a giant bow on the back of it with two large dominos at the ends. Knee-length white boots covered her feet.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking, where am I," Arbil asked quietly.

"You're in my house in the Gray Village," Yosafire exclaimed. "I found you passed out in the flower garden yesterday, and my friend Froze healed you."

At the mention of her name, Froze looked away bashfully. Arbil slowly sat up from the bed, her legs hanging over the edge and checked herself. The holes that pierced her body and wings were gone and all the blood was cleaned off. Even her dress was good as new, though still messed up from her battle. She still felt some pain, but it was miniscule.

Arbil dipped her head in gratitude to the angel. "Thank you for healing me."

Froze turned back and dipped her head. "You're welcome."

Arbil was a bit surprised by the angel's neutral tone. She felt guilty that she might be the cause of Froze's lack of expression, trespassing in her world.

Sensing her guilt, Yosafire turned to Arbil. "Don't worry about Froze. She's always like that. My other friends helped too, cleaning you up and repairing your dress.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yosafire. What's yours?"

"Arbil," the hybrid answered.

"That's a nice name," Yosafire complimented. "So, Arbil…"

All of a sudden, Yosafire launched into an array of questions. "What's your world like? What's its name? Are there more people like you over there? Can I touch your wings?"

Yosafire gently prodded and examined Arbil's wings without waiting for a response. The hybrid did nothing, shocked at the fire demon's forwardness.

"Uhh…"

"Yosafire!" Froze scolded again. "Don't touch her wings without permission."

Snapping out of her stupor, Arbil waved her hands in defense. "No, no, it's fine. I was just a bit startled. No one's ever taken such an interest to my wings before."

"Really?" asked Yosafire. "Why wouldn't they? They are amazing!"

Arbil was filled with warmth at the compliment of her mismatched wings. Besides Crimson, no one else said anything nice about them.

"Aren't you going to answer my other questions?"

Before Arbil could open her mouth, Froze spoke up. "Sorry, but those questions will have to wait. We have to take you to BlancBlack Castle to meet Etihw and Kcalb."

"Yeah, that's right. I almost forgot." Yosafire turned to Arbil. "We called them to let them know that you're here. They are the God and Devil of our world."

Arbil's wings twitched nervously. Images of her own God flashed through her eyes, especially of her last encounter with him. "Oh."

"Oh, don't worry," Yosafire quickly reassured. "They are very nice. Old man Kcalb may look intimidating, but he's nice too."

Arbil was still a bit uneasy but she nodded her head. "Okay."

"Are you able to stand?" Froze asked.

Arbil nodded her head as she slid off the bed and stood on her feet.

"All right, we're off!" Yosafire cheered.

The hybrid followed the demon and angel to the door. The two stepped out but Arbil hesitated at the entrance. She saw the intense white light that she saw when she first arrived here, and was afraid of being blinded again.

Yosafire stopped and turned to Arbil when she noticed she wasn't following. "What's wrong?"

"That white light. It almost blinded me when I saw it. I don't want to go out there."

The fire demon smiled. "It's just sunlight. You'll get used to it, trust me."

Arbil saw that it didn't harm Yosafire or Froze, so she put her trust in the demon's words, and stepped outside. The hybrid brought up her arm to shield her eyes from the light. Once she got accustomed to it, she brought down her arm and gaped at the wonderful scenery before her.

The environment was filled with colors that the hybrid only heard of but never saw. The sky was a bright blue with puffy white clouds dotting it. The grass was a vibrant green with flowers of even more shades of colors than she could tell growing everywhere. The cottages that housed the residences of the village were light brown and white, conveying a homey feeling. The warmth of the sunlight hit Arbil's body, almost at the point of burning but comfortable. The very atmosphere of the small town was brimming with liveliness and happiness. The world before Arbil shone like a newly polished jewel.

Yosafire faced Arbil and spread her arms out. "Welcome to the Gray Garden!" she exclaimed proudly.

Arbil grinned brightly. "It's amazing! It's even better than I can imagine. I've never seen anything this colorful before."

"Maybe later, I can show you around, but first the castle."

Arbil followed the girls to the north path that led to the castle. She gazed up at the sky, noticing a floating, yellow spherical object.

"Hey Yosafire, what's that," she asked, pointing at the object.

The fire demon looked up at what the newcomer was pointing at. "Oh, that's the sun. It keeps us warm during the day."

"Oh. We don't have a 'sun' in my world." Arbil responded while testing the unfamiliar word.

"Really? Now I'm really interested to hear what your world is like."

As they continued onward to the castle, Arbil kept on asking questions about things that she didn't know, from the animals that weren't monster-sized to the floating diamonds and to the colors of the flowers. Yosafire happily answered them, feeling like the smart one for once, while Froze listened to them prattle on.

Arbil felt complete ease being with the two girls, but she couldn't say the same for Froze. Ever since they left the village, the hybrid felt unease radiating off of the ice angel, and she felt she was the source of it.

"Froze," Arbil said, "I feel like you are not comfortable with me. Did I do something wrong?"

Caught in the act, Froze sighed. Yosafire stared in between the two, watching how the conversation would play out.

Finally, Froze spoke. "No, it's not you. It's me. You're obviously a nice person, I can see that, but you're still not from this world. Not too long, demons from another world invaded ours and nearly destroyed our home. I'm just afraid that you're another intruder."

Arbil was a bit crestfallen that her presence caused Froze to have such troubling thoughts. That was what the hybrid was secretly afraid of: not being able to belong to any world because she wasn't born in it. But she suppressed it. Froze did say that she was nice, and Arbil understood her reasoning.

"I assure you, I'm not here to bring harm to your world," Arbil responded confidently.

Froze's lips quirked into a small, but beautiful smile. "I know you won't."

Arbil smiled back, internally elated to have someone in a different world trust her.

Yosafire smiled too at seeing her usually expressionless friend smiling, and seeing the two girls getting along.

She turned back to the front. "The castle is just up ahead."

Arbil looked to the front, and her eyes widened at seeing her world's color, gray, in such a place like this. She was also surprised that the castle was on the ground and not in the sky.

 _This world is strange_ , Arbil thought to herself. _But I love it!_

As they approached the castle, the structure revealing itself with every step, there were other demons and angels loitering around the path. They were either quietly conversing or just lounging around. When Arbil got closer, she noticed that they stopped whatever they were doing and stared at her. Arbil's wings twitched nervously as she fought the urge to cover her face with her wings, revealing them more.

The hybrid expected the Gray Garden citizens' reactions to be hostile and disgust, just like the people in her world, but she was surprised yet again by this world. The citizens pointed at her wings and whispered to themselves, probably talking about her. They had curious looks, some of them filled with awe. Arbil smiled, thankful that she ended up in a kind and understanding world.

The hybrid took her first step on the castle's premises and her emerald orbs shone with admiration at the beautiful design. Even though she hated the dull gray color because it reminded her of her world, it seemed to work for the castle. She understood instantly why it was called BlancBlack Castle. They passed the imposing tall walls, and stepped into the courtyard. The ground was composed of gray cobblestone, the middle path lined with white diamonds on the left and black diamonds on the right. In the middle of the courtyard, a glistening fountain flowed with a white and a black diamond hovering above it. Flowers and trees spotted the area, greatly contrasting against the monochrome theme. More demons and angels hung about, some tending to the flowers and others conversing.

The group entered the castle through the tall diamond gray door and Arbil was even more amazed by the interior. The cobblestone gave away to gray marble. The diamonds were slightly bigger and resting on tall pillars. A stairway ran up to the second level and then branched off to the left and right. A door on each side at the bottom of the stairs lead somewhere else.

They climbed the stairs and stood in front of a black slate with a tiny white diamond hovering above it.

"This is a warp slate," Froze explained. "Because there are many stairs here, our God Etihw created them, so it will be easier for us to reach the Great Hall."

"It's the best thing ever," Yosafire said excitedly. "Well, next to Dialo's apple pies."

At the mention of apple pies, Yosafire started drooling. Arbil gave the fire demon a weird look, but she smiled at her new friend's antics.

Froze snapped her finger in front of Yosafire's face. "Focus, Yosaf. You can think about that later."

The fire demon vigorously shook her head and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, sorry."

Froze sighed then turned to the warp slate. "Touch the warp slate Arbil, and you'll be in front of the Great Hall."

Froze touched it then disappeared right before Arbil's eyes. Yosafire stepped up to the plate. "See you on the other side!" Then Yosafire was gone too.

Arbil stared at the warp slate with apprehension. She slowly reached out and touched it. For a second, she felt her body being broken apart to the smallest molecule before being hurriedly put back together. She shivered as a tingling sensation ran through her body. Once the sensation subsided, she walked to Froze and Yosafire who were standing in front of a giant gray door with diamond patterns.

"This is where Etihw and old man hang out during the day," said Yosafire.

She knocked on the door three times.

"Come in," a gentle and loud voice called out.

Arbil was slightly nervous before, but now she felt like she was sweating bullets. Yosafire told her earlier that their rulers were nice, but Arbil still felt uneasy. She was afraid that they might force her to return to her world.

 _No Arbil,_ she scolded herself. _I trust Yosafire and if she says that they're nice, then they must be._

Arbil put on a brave face as the girls opened the door, her stance determined as she prepared to face the people that would decide her fate.

* * *

 **And that's it for now! I'll have the other chapters posted next month. Until then, hang in there, all of my fellow college students! Review please!**


	4. Divine Inquisition

**Hey guys! I decided to upload another chapter for all of you since I had time. Another update won't be coming up until December. I have already written two more chapters of this story. I just need to edit them and I've already written an outline for seven more chapters, so if time will allow me, I can update at least a few times a month. I also want to give credit to** _ **Fan of Games**_ **for telling me the term "Nephilim". I read about it in another story, so I already knew it, but I want to thank you for reminding me about it. Anyway, let's get on with the story!**

* * *

In the Great Hall, Etihw and Kcalb sat at their usual spots around the round table. They stared at each other in contemplative silence, trying to read the other's thoughts.

Finally, Eti broke the silence. "Well?"

"Well what?" Kcalb answered softly.

"The newcomer, the one that the girls described a couple of days ago. Do you think she's another intruder?"

Kcalb silently contemplated his thoughts, voicing it carefully. "Maybe, maybe not. The girls said she arrived here on the brink of death, so I don't believe she is here to cause us harm. And I don't think other worlds would attack us soon after the last invasion."

"I believe the same thing too, but we can't be sure just yet. She could be a spy, leading us into a false sense of security for all we know. But her appearance interests me. Yosafire described her as having two different wings, an angel and a demon wing. In all my years of existence, I've never heard of such a being."

The Devil gazed out the diamond-shaped window above him, as he racked through his long, long memory for any information.

"I believe I've heard something about this being a very long time ago. They are called Nephilim. There are very rare because they are born from a union between a demon and an angel. But because of their mixed blood, they are usually exiled from both sides or killed soon after birth. Not much else is known about them."

"Oh, that's so unfortunate of them," said Etihw frowning. She started feeling pity for the newcomer that she has yet to meet. "Maybe that's why she's here, to feel belonged."

Kcalb shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, but don't let your guard down."

Eti waved her hand dismissively. "Of course, of course."

All of a sudden, Wodahs teleported into the room, looking formal as ever with his suit and calm demeanor. "They are here," he spoke with no inflection.

As soon as he said that, all of them heard three knocks on the door.

"Come in," Etihw called out.

The doors opened and Yosafire and Froze walked in, the newcomer trailing behind them. When the group was right in front of them, Eti assessed the hybrid. Her mismatched wings captured the God's interest, and she secretly envied the beauty of them, how the two different wings seemed to work for the hybrid. Her appearance was in monotonous colors as if she was a resident of BlancBlack Castle like her, Kcalb, Wodahs, and Grora. The hybrid had a brave face, but Etihw could still sense uneasiness from her. She certainly didn't look dangerous, so to ease the hybrid's stress, Eti smiled.

"Hey Etihw, old man, Wodahs," Yosafire greeted happily.

"Good day, Yosafire," Etihw responded back.

"Hello," Wodahs greeted back.

"Stop calling me old man!" Kcalb said angrily and annoyed.

Yosafire simply laughed as Froze sighed at her friend's lack of respect. Arbil stood there, astonished at Yosafire's friendliness with her rulers, treating each other as equals rather than superior beings lording over lesser beings.

 _This world is truly strange._

"And is that our visitor behind you girls," Etihw asked, gesturing with her chin.

"Yes!" Yosafire answered. She took a step to the side to allow Arbil to step forward. "This is Arbil, our new friend!"

As soon as she was introduced, Arbil's body moved on its own. She got on one knee, her body in a crouched position, and bowed her head deeply to the God and Devil of this world.

"Hello, Your Majesties."

It was silent for a few seconds as the people in the room stared at the newcomer in her reverent posture. When nobody said anything, a lot of thoughts ran through Arbil's mind. _Did I do something wrong? Why isn't anyone saying anything? Is this not how you show respect to the rulers of this world?_

It felt like a forever and a half of silence passed before Eti broke it with a joyful giggle.

"There is no need for that here, Arbil," the God said with a smile. "Please stand; we are all equals here."

Arbil blushed profusely as she did as Etihw commanded, smoothing her short black dress hastily. "Sorry, force of habit," she said in an embarrassed tone.

Yosafire muffled her laughter with her hand. Even Froze tried not to smile.

"No worries," Etihw said. "My name is Etihw, the God and creator of this world. This is my very close friend, Kcalb, the Devil of this world."

Kcalb blushed and sweatdropped at the "close friend" comment. He dipped his head to Arbil, remaining silent. _Yosafire_ _was right, he does look kind of scary, especially with his eyes, but he's probably nice._

"And that angel over there is our Head angel, Wodahs."

Wodahs bowed with one arm folded behind his back. "Greetings."

Arbil smiled back at them for their warm greeting.

"So Arbil," Eti addressed the hybrid, "we, or rather I, would like to ask some questions about you. You can choose not to answer any of them if you wish."

Arbil shook her head. "No, no. I'll gladly answer all questions you may have. It's only fair since Yosafire told me half of the things about your world."

"All right. So please tell us, what is your world called and what is it like?"

Arbil shouldn't have agreed so quickly on discussing her world's affairs. For all she knew, they could probably attack her home world, but she knew without a doubt that they wouldn't. Their world was so perfect, there was no need to harm other beings. And she wasn't going back and didn't like most of the people there, so she happily divulged any information.

"My world is called Desolate Wasteland. It's completely different form your world. As the name implies, it is a barren wasteland that is devoid of life. Everything is dead, the people constantly fight, there is no sun or moon, and our God is a ruthless ruler who places himself above everybody else."

"What is the name of your God?" Kcalb asked.

"His name is Revlis, but he demands that we refer to him as 'Your Highness'." Arbil sheepishly combed her long hair with her fingers as she looked away. "Hence my earlier behavior. We have a Devil too, but I don't know his name because he rarely shows his face."

"If your God is as evil as you make him out to be, and your Devil isn't around much, how did you get here," asked Etihw. "A friend of ours had his Devil brought him here."

"Revlis has a room that is filled with portals to other worlds. My friend opened the portal for me since I have no magic."

"Are there others like you that have awesome wings like yours?" Yosafire added.

Arbil smiled but it had an undertone of sadness. "Unfortunately, no. I'm the only one, as far as I know."

"Last question," Etihw said, "why did you come here? You said there were other portals, yet you chose our world. Why?"

Arbil's tone shifted to subdued honesty. "Everyone in my world, including Revlis, despises me because I'm different. I couldn't take it anymore, so I thought this world would accept me since angels and demons live in harmony."

The room grew quiet when Arbil finished answering the inquiries. Etihw and Kcalb looked at each other as they silently thought over the hybrid's answers, like they were communicating via telepathy.

When Kcalb nodded his head, Etihw smiled brightly and turned to Arbil. "Well, we can see that you are a very honest and kind person, Arbil. You're welcome to live in the castle and the Gray Garden for as long as you want."

Arbil's lips stretched into the biggest smile, her face using muscles that she never thought she had. She bowed reverently. "Thank you so much!"

"It's my pleasure. Wodahs, I would like to escort Arbil to her room myself if you don't mind."

"Not at all," said the head angel.

"Yosafire and Froze, you two may leave now. Thank you both for bringing Arbil here."

"You're welcome," Froze blankly said.

"Anytime!" Yosafire said. As they turned to leave, the fire demon yelled over her shoulder, "See you around, Arbil!"

Said person waved back to them. "Bye, girls. Thank you."

When they left the room, Etihw floated off her chair and approached Arbil. "Please, follow me."

Arbil nodded and turned to follow the God. She stopped herself and threw a gratuitous smile at Kcalb and Wodahs before leaving the room with Eti.

The doors closed with a resounding thud. It was quiet between the two brothers as they gazed at the closed doors.

Wodahs spoke up. "Lady Etihw seems to trust Arbil right away. So deeply in fact that she escorted the girl herself."

"Eti has an excellent judge of character," Kcalb said. "I don't sense any ill intentions in Arbil either, unlike our last visitors."

"True. It's a shame that such a wonderful person like her was born in a terrible world. How she survived that long, I couldn't begin to guess."

"Me neither."

"Well, I must get back to work. I shall take my leave." On that note, Wodahs teleported out of the room, leaving Kcalb alone.

The Devil gazed out the window again. "Desolate Wasteland, huh."

* * *

"Before I show you your room, I would like to give you some new clothes, if that's all right with you," Etihw asked politely.

"That's fine. Yosafire said that her friends fixed my dress, but it still looks like a dishrag."

They turned right from the Great Hall and walked to a white diamond-colored door. Etihw opened it and Arbil followed. The room was furnished with a large bed at the far middle of the room, covered with white and gray sheets and fluffy pillows. A small table with four chairs sat at the left corner of the room. Shelves filled with various sized books and wardrobes lined the right side. A door on the left led to another room.

"This is my room," the God stated as she floated to her wardrobe.

"It's very nice," Arbil complimented.

"Thanks." Etihw shuffled through her wardrobe as she continued the conversation. "You know Arbil, you were lucky that Yosafire found you first."

Arbil tilted her head to the side. "Why is that?"

"I don't know if they told you yet, but not too long ago, demons from another world attacked ours. We were able to chase them away, and I restored our world but some of the citizens are still recovering from the ordeal. If any of them found you, you'd probably have a worse treatment."

"Yes, Froze told me a bit about that. I suppose you're right, but I think your people would've been comfortable with me. I saw a few of them on my way here, and they seemed fascinated with me rather than wary."

"Really? Well, I guess they've recovered faster than I expected."

The entire time they were talking, Etihw threw some articles of clothing on the bed. She also grabbed shoes and placed them on the floor next to the bed.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Froze healed you correct? Do you feel any better?"

Arbil nodded. "Yes, a lot better than I ever felt my entire life. But I still have a small bit of pain. Nothing too bothersome though."

"I guessed as much. I am proud of Froze that her healing magic is getting better, but she is young and not powerful enough. I will heal what's left."

Etihw stretched out her left arm to Arbil. White energy in a shape of a diamond shot out of her hand and entered Arbil's body. The hybrid curled into herself a little as she felt the magic course through her entire body. In a split second, she felt all her pain disappear. The constant nagging feeling of her hand and wings were gone.

"How do you feel now?"

"I feel wonderful!" Arbil flitted her wings in emphasis. "Thank you, Etihw."

The God smiled. "No problem." She gathered the clothes in her arms and shoved them in Arbil's arms. "Now change into these in the bathroom over there," she ordered, gently pushing Arbil to the door on the left side of the room.

Arbil stepped into the bathroom and quickly changed into the new attire. When she finished putting them on, she checked her new appearance in the mirror. Her shirt was the color of egg white, the sleeves only covering her arms, leaving her shoulders and the top half of her chest exposed. The beginning and ends of the sleeves had small, slivery gray ribbons tied around them. The bottom was a snow white skirt that was short in the front and long in the back. The skirt was white until it reached the middle, where black diamonds started dotting it and gradually filling the white as it reached the bottom. The end of the skirt was cut at the edges like diamonds. Her bare feet were no longer bare as she now wore white ballet slippers with big gray bows.

Arbil stepped out and showed Etihw. "It's nice, but I've never worn anything like this before." The hybrid did a twirl, the skirt and her silver-streaked hair billowing out. "It's a bit much."

Etihw clasped her hands, admiring her choice of clothing for the hybrid. "Nonsense, you look lovely. Now you look like a regular Gray Garden citizen."

Arbil couldn't stop a grin from stretching at the compliment. Hearing those words out loud, saying that she belonged, made her very elated.

"You are welcome to keep those," Etihw offered. "Now, I'll show you to your room. Follow me."

They didn't have to go far. Arbil's room was right across from Etihw's. All the room had was a small sized bed that could fit one person, a bedside table with a lamp and empty bookshelves.

"Sorry that there isn't much," said Eti. "None of the people stay here in the castle except me, Kcalb, Wodahs, and a few others that you'll eventually meet. You may fill the room with whatever you like. I would also suggest that you rest for the remainder of the day. You've been through a lot for the past couple of days."

"I will. Thank you again for your hospitality."

"You're welcome. You are now part of this world, so you'll be treated kindly. See you tomorrow."

"Good-bye," Arbil said as Etihw closed the door.

Arbil walked to the bed and flopped on it, enjoying the softness of the pillows and sheets. She rubbed her face deeper into the pillow as she sank further into the mattress. She pulled the sheets over her body, closing her eyes as she prepared to go off into dreamland.

Before she fell into a deep slumber, she thought one final thing.

 _I hope you are safe, Crimson._

* * *

 **See you guys in December! Review please!**


	5. Gray Garden Tour

**Hey everybody! I'm finally done with finals! It was hectic, but I finally made it. I pretty much passed all my classes, except one I think. I'm not sure about my final grades until next week. Anyway, I'm back so I should be able to update often before spring semester. Enjoy!**

* * *

Arbil was sleeping peacefully, light snores coming from her mouth until she heard a knock on her door. She moaned under her breath and pulled the sheet over her face, hoping that whoever was knocking would go away soon. Her wish came true when the knocking stopped after a few seconds. She sighed deeply as she tried to go back to blissful unconsciousness, but whoever was knocking was not finished with her.

Arbil heard a whooshing sound and immediately felt a presence right next to her bed in the direction she was facing. She opened her eyelids to a fraction to see a gray iris and an eyepatch staring back at her in very close proximity. Arbil yelped and scrambled back, nearly falling off the bed. She held her hand to her chest as she tried to calm her beating heart.

She glared at Wodahs. "Wodahs, you startled me! How did you get in here?"

The head angel straightened up, his hands folded behind his back, his face emotionless as ever. "My apologies. You weren't answering the door, so I thought I should invite myself in."

"That still doesn't explain how you got in," said Arbil, a bit of frustration in her tone. She really wasn't a morning person.

"I teleported in here," he answered casually as if everybody could do it.

Arbil's anger completely subsided when she heard his response. Her body was taut with tension, but she relaxed and gazed at Wodahs in newfound awe.

"You can teleport," she asked, her green eyes glinting with interest. "That's amazing."

The corner of Wodahs' lips quirked up for a second, but his quick smile was gone as soon as it came. "Lady Etihw and Kcalb wish to have breakfast with you, so they sent me to escort you."

"Oh, well why didn't you say so sooner? Just give me a minute to freshen up."

Arbil got off the bed and stepped into the bathroom to wash her face. When she stepped out, her bed was neatly made. She thanked Wodahs and followed him to the Great Hall. They entered the room and found Etihw and Kcalb sitting at the round table, the table laden with various types of foods. Arbil's mouth started salivating as the aromatic breakfast food rushed into her nose. She just remembered that she hadn't eaten a single thing since her arrival to this world."

Her stomach growled loudly. Her face grew hot in embarrassment. She shot Wodahs a sheepish smile when he twisted his head to her."

"Sorry," said Arbil. "My stomach just remembered that I haven't eaten anything in a while."

Wodahs nodded his head. "That's understandable. You've been through a lot. We better get some food in you then before you pass out."

Etihw smiled at Arbil when she approached the table. "Good morning, Arbil. I hope you slept well."

Arbil smiled back. "Yes, I did. Thank you for asking."

Etihw gestured to a third chair in between her and Kcalb. "This is your seat. Thank you for bringing her, Wodahs."

"My pleasure, Lady Etihw."

He teleported out of the room. Arbil sat in the chair, saying good morning to Kcalb. He quietly greeted back as he ate a toast with chocolate spread with a drowsy expression.

The hybrid gave a confused look to Etihw. She smiled. "Excuse Kcalb's behavior. We don't usually wake up this early, so he's still tired. I just wanted you to have breakfast with us so we could have a proper conversation."

"Oh." Arbil didn't know how to feel to have the rulers of a world change their schedule just to make her feel more welcome. She knew it was a great privilege to have them treat her like she belonged, but she felt kind of guilty that they're doing so much for her, and she's only been here for about four days.

"You didn't have to, but I appreciate the gesture."

"Of course. Now, what would you like to eat?" Etihw spread her arm over the food. There were plates of eggs and bacon, baskets of different fruits, jars of jams, and pitchers of juices. "We have all kinds to choose from."

Arbil just stared at the strange food in front of her.

"Is the food not to your liking," Etihw asked Arbil.

The hybrid madly shook her head. "No, no, no. I've never seen this kind of food. I don't know what to pick."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? I'll help you choose what to eat, if that's all right with you."

Arbil listened intently as the God described the various foods and drinks while placing them on her plate. Arbil took a bite and her taste buds were assaulted by the amazing tastes. She ended up gobbling half of the food. She was still hungry, so Wodahs brought in more food. While they ate, they amiably talked about anything, Kcalb inserting his own opinion once in a while.

They finished breakfast by late morning. Kcalb mumbled that he was going back to bed and left the room. Etihw and Arbil laughed, then the God told Arbil that she was free to do whatever she wanted. Arbil thanked Etihw for the breakfast, then left to explore the castle.

She decided to explore the structure on foot instead of using the warp slate. Arbil walked down the stairs on Etihw's side and approached the first door on the third floor. She heard somewhat loud chatter and footsteps behind the door, and decided to peek in to see what was going on. Arbil opened the door slightly ajar and found the library room. All the books were in various shades of gray. Tables were spread around with demons and angels sitting on them, either reading quietly by themselves or discussing their favorite books with friends. Despite it being a library, the room was loud, but not too loud to disturb anyone else.

A cat demon walked by the door with a book in his hand. He paused when he noticed that the door was slightly open. Arbil swiftly dove back when he twisted his head to it.

"Hello," the cat demon called out. "Is anyone there?"

Arbil remained hidden, staying quiet as a mouse.

The demon took a step forward. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

The other demons and angels that were close by turned their attention to the scene, curiously watching. Arbil was already found out, so she swallowed her fear and stepped out from behind the door, stalking quietly into the room.

The cat demon took another step to her. "Excuse me, but are you the girl that recently came from another world?"

"Yes." Arbil answered softly but it echoed loudly in her ears in the quietness of the once clamorous room. She tried to ignore all the stares. "My name is Arbil."

"Do you like to read, Arbil?" the demon asked while holding up his book.

Arbil smiled, internally grateful that the demon was trying to break the ice in the subtle tense air. "Yes, it's one of my favorite hobbies."

"You can read my book if you'd like. I already read it once."

Arbil took the offered book. Once the angels and demons saw that she wasn't a threat, they offered her to sit with them. The hybrid happily obliged and conversed with them when they talked about their books or asked about her. Some people were still somewhat wary of her, but the more time Arbil spent with them, their guards gradually went down. She spent half of the day in the library, swiftly reading through books absorbing knowledge with glee.

* * *

Yosafire used the warp slate to teleport in front of the Great Hall doors. She entered uninvited and casually strolled to Etihw and Kcalb who were playing Othello.

"Hello, Etihw! Hey, old man!" she greeted happily.

"Good day, Yosafire." Etihw said.

"Stop calling me that!" Kcalb angrily said.

"Have you guys seen Arbil?" Yosafire asked, ignoring the Devil's order. "I wanted to show her around the village."

"I haven't seen her since this morning," Eti replied.

"I heard some loud chatter in the castle library earlier," Kcalb answered while staring at the game board, pondering his next move. "She might be in there."

"Okie-doke. Thanks!"

Yosafire ran out of the room and down the stairs to the library. She opened the door and found Arbil reading a book, her eyes roving through the words swiftly, with other demons and angels.

The fire demon approached the hybrid while saying hello to the people. "Heyo, Arbil!"

Arbil looked up and brightly smiled at Yosafire. "Hi, Yosafire! How have you been?"

"I'm great. I know you're busy, but I want to introduce you to my other friends and show you around town."

"That would be lovely. Sure." Arbil closed the book and returned it to the angel that gave it to her. "Thank you."

The other angels and demons bid Arbil farewell as she left with Yosafire. As they walked down the long path of stairs, Yosafire noticed Arbil's change in attire.

"Wow! Those new clothes look great on you. Who gave them to you?"

"Thanks. Etihw did. Even though your friends fixed my dress, it still looked terrible, so I decided to get rid of it."

"Okay. I'm glad that you're getting along with everyone. I was kinda worried that they wouldn't talk to you or something because of what happened a while ago."

"Oh no. They were very friendly. It took some getting used to, but they eventually warmed up to me."

They reached the first floor and walked outside to the courtyard.

"Is it okay if we fly to the Gray Village this time," Arbil asked.

"Sure! Sorry if we walk everywhere around here. Everything is close together."

Yosafire flapped her small wings and lifted herself into the air. Arbil flapped her giant wings in one go and was immediately airborne. She followed Yosafire as they soared in the air. Arbil relished the warm breeze that caressed her skin and hair, her single short braid flapping in the wind. She wanted to fly faster and further, but had to keep pace with the fire demon. Arbil spread out her wings further to glide, to allow the wind to become her support. She sighed as the wind touched every single feather on her angel wing and every inch of skin on her bat wing. Her world made her feel imprisoned, but whenever she flew, she'd experience true freedom. As long as she had her wings, nothing could keep her down.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Yosafire said, "how do you fly with those wings? You look so graceful doing it."

Arbil smirked as her memories of her first flying lessons popped up in her head. How her caretaker would degrade her for crashing into every tree, how Crimson would gladly help her anyway he could.

"It wasn't easy the first few times, I'll tell you that. Because of the different anatomies of my wings, they function differently, so I had a very difficult time flying with them when I was younger. I could barely lift myself off the ground before crashing. I nearly broke them beyond repair a few times. I finally perfected my flying two years after I started, and now it feels natural to me." Arbil lovingly gazed at her mismatched wings.

"Cool. I only started flying again recently. I had an accident when I was younger that made me scared to fly. But when a mean demon pushed Froze off a cliff. I jumped after her, and I knew how to fly again."

"Woah. That's a… weird event to get you to overcome your fear."

"I know, but it worked."

Arbil's been hearing bits and pieces about an invasion from another world since she got here. She wanted to know the full story, but refrained since she didn't think it was her place to ask, her being here for only a few days.

 _Maybe I'll ask Etihw or Kcalb,_ Arbil thought. _Since they are the rulers, they must know more about it._

"We're here!" Yosafire announced before descending.

Arbil sighed when the flight was too short for her liking, and descended with Yosafire. They landed in front of a group that Arbil assumed were Yosafire's friends. She recognized Froze but not the others.

"Hey guys!" Yosafire greeted.

"Hi!" the girls responded back in their own way.

"Arbil, these are the rest of my friends. Dialo," Yosafire pointed to a girl that looked like a female version of Satan, "Chelan," a girl that looked like the generic angel stereotype, "Macarona," a shy-looking angel clad in green and red, "and Rawberry," a demon with pink hair and bat wing barrettes.

"Nice to meet you all," Arbil greeted with a smile.

"Are you feeling any better," Dialo asked.

"Yes. Froze patched me up, and Etihw completely healed me. I am better now."

"That's good," Macarona said softly. "After seeing those horrible wounds, we were all worried that you wouldn't make it."

Chelan nodded, agreeing with Macarona.

"I want to thank you all for saving me," Arbil thanked, dipping her head gracefully. "I'm very grateful for your help."

"It was no trouble," said Rawberry. "Of course, if you were dead, I would've eaten you to save us the trouble."

Arbil was taken aback by Rawberry's response. "What?"

"Nothing," Macarona hastily covered Rawberry's mouth. "She said nothing!"

Yosafire sheepishly gave Arbil a nervous smile. "Don't mind Rawberry. She's the only meat eater we know, and she's into eating weird stuff, so don't take it to heart."

"O… okay then."

"Ok, now that we all know each other, let's get started with the tour!" Yosafire cheerfully announced. "You know BlancBlack Castle is north, so let's head east."

The motley group walked eastward, Arbil amiably talking to them or just listening to their conversations. As they got closer, Arbil noticed red objects spread about on the ground and in the trees.

"This is Apple Park," said Yosafire. "This is where Dialo and Chelan get their apples to make apple pies."

Arbil tilted her head to the side. "Apple? Apple pies?"

Yosafire stared at Arbil incredulously. "You've never eaten apple pie before?"

"No?"

The fire demon's face contorted into a shocked expression as if she was struck by lightning. Arbil felt that she was offended for a serious crime.

"Chelan and I have to gather more apples to make the pies," said Dialo. "I can make some tomorrow and you can try some. For now, try an apple."

Chelan grabbed an apple from the ground and offered it to Arbil with a smile. The hybrid took the fruit and examined it. It felt firm and gave out no smell. She took a medium-sized bite out of it. It tasted bitter but mostly sweet, the juices filling her mouth.

"It's pretty good," Arbil said after swallowing.

"There's nothing else here but apples. Except caterpillars," Macarona said with a shiver.

"And a bat cave at the end of the forest, but sadly no more of my tasty flame bats," Rawberry said with a depressed look.

Arbil smiled at the two as she finished her apple and threw the core to the ground. The group went back to the village, leaving Dialo and Chelan behind to gather apples. This time they took the south path, and two buildings emerged from either side.

"That's the school," said Yosafire, pointing to the right, "and that's the library," pointing to the left.

"You guys go to school," asked Arbil.

"Yes, but Yosafire shouldn't go anymore," Froze blankly said with a hint of annoyance. "She never pays attention, sleeps during classes, and most of all, forgets her homework."

"I still do my best," Yosafire retorted. "Besides, you always help me with my homework, Froze."

The ice angel looked away, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Have you ever went to school Arbil," Macarona asked.

"No, I was forbidden to enter my city, so my caretaker taught me everything."

"Oh, well, would you like to go to school with us? Our teachers are from another world too, so you wouldn't feel out of place."

"Etihw told me that there were otherworldlies. Thanks for the offer, but I'm older than you guys, so it would be embarrassing being the only older person there. I'll just learn at the library or you guys can teach me."

They continued down the path. Arbil's nose was hit with a strong salty scent and her ears heard loud crashing sounds. The greenery gave away to millions of tiny grains of whatever, and water as blue as the sky crashed against the shore, leaving behind white foam. The constant flowing of the salty breeze whipped Arbil's long hair everywhere. The absorbed heat from the sun slightly burned her feet.

She stared in amazement at the wide expanse of the liquid blue in front of her. "Wow, this is magnificent. What do you call this place?"

"This is the sea," Yosafire announced spreading out her arms. "And this part with the sand is called a beach."

Arbil kneeled and cupped the sand in her hands. She spread her fingers apart, the sand falling down steadily. The texture was gritty but smooth as a whole.

"Sand," she repeated to herself.

Arbil dusted off her hands and they returned to the village. The sun was slowly setting, the blue charging to orange and pink.

"The flower garden is to the west," Yosafire said as they reached the center. "That's where I found you. Sorry that we couldn't show you, it's getting late."

"No, it's fine. I greatly appreciate you all showing me your home."

"Well, it's your home now too."

"Thanks. I'll see you girls tomorrow."

The girls said farewell and Arbil flew back to the castle, enjoying the beautiful sunset scenery as it bathed everything in hues of orange and pink and purple. She was welcomed happily by Etihw and ate dinner with her and Kcalb. She retired to bed afterwards, once again hoping for Crimson's safety.

* * *

 **Thank you guys for your patience. I will have the next chapter up by the end of the week. Review please!**


	6. Making Apple Pie

**Hey everybody! I'm back with an update as promised. For the next few chapters, they will be fillers, just Arbil hanging out with everyone and getting to know them better. So without further ado, let's get on with the story.**

* * *

The next day, Arbil ate breakfast with Eti and Kcalb again, but around at the start of noon. She hung out at the castle library until school finished for the girls. She flew straight to Dialo and Chelan's house and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Dialo said through the door.

Arbil entered and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, Arbil," Dialo greeted.

Chelan smiled silently.

"Hey guys! Are you going to make apple pies?"

"Yes, we were about to start," said Dialo as she placed a basket full of apples on the counter. "You can help me peel the skin off."

Dialo handed Arbil a peeler. "Sure."

Chelan stepped into the other room to grab something.

"Hey, Dialo," Arbil whispered, "I don't mean to pry, but why doesn't Chelan ever talk? Is she mute?"

"Not at all. She can talk, but she chooses not to. Her voice is very soft and sweet. I'm the only one that can understand her."

"Oh, okay."

Chelan returned with three aprons for all of them to wear, and helped them with peeling. After all the apples were peeled, they cut them into medium-sized pieces and placed them into a circular metal pan. Arbil watched as Chelan made the dough and as Dialo put different spices on the apples and a glossy glaze. Chelan placed the dough on top of the apples.

"Alright," said Dialo. She closed her eyes and when she re-opened them, they changed from black to red.

Chelan lightly gripped Arbil's sleeve and took a step back, forcing Arbil to as well. The hybrid gave a confused look at the silent angel before turning her attention back to Dialo. Dialo started pounding the pie like crazy until it magically turned into a steaming batch of pie.

Dialo's eyes returned to normal. "Done."

Arbil stared on, stunned by the demon's performance. "I've never cooked before," the hybrid managed to say, "but I'm certain that's not how you normally bake a pie."

"I've been baking this way for a while. It works," Dialo responded as she placed the pie on the wooden table.

Chelan and Arbil placed plates and utensils on the table, enough for everyone in the group. They took off their aprons and sat at the table while waiting for the pie to cool down and for Yosafire and her friends to show up. Arbil stared at the pastry, a thin sliver of steam rising and gradually getting smaller as time went by. The ticking of a clock became background noise as they continued to wait patiently in silence.

Eventually, Yosafire and the rest of the gang arrived. She entered without knocking, a big smile on her visage. "Hey guys!"

Seeing the fire demon brightly smile caused Arbil to smile back. "Hi, girls!"

"Good timing, guys," Dialo said. "The pie is just about ready."

Once everyone sat at the table, Dialo cut up equal slices of the apple pie and Chelan passed them to everybody. Arbil stared at her slice while she waited for everyone else to receive their piece. She noticed that no one was eating, so she looked up and saw that everyone's eyes were intently on her.

Arbil blinked. "What?"

"We want to see your reaction when you eat your first bite of apple pie," Yosafire responded.

"Oh, okay."

Arbil picked up a fork, picked up a small piece of her slice, then put it in her mouth. The angels and demons leaned forward in their chairs as they waited for Arbil's reaction. Her taste buds felt like they were sent to heaven when she tasted the mixture of sweet glaze and cinnamon.

A warm blush decorated her cheeks. "It's delicious! It's the best thing I've ever tasted!"

Everyone smiled (except Froze) and proceeded to eat their slices. The atmosphere was very cheerful as everyone mingled. Arbil asked the girls what they learned in school, they answered back with different responses; Froze scolded Yosafire for sleeping in class; Macarona tried to stop Rawberry from putting bug jam on the pink demon's pie, but to no avail; Dialo and Chelan listened to the various conversations with interest.

Arbil quietly listened as well, her heart warming at the scene before her. She never had gatherings like this where people can just talk and playfully tease one another without them killing each other. She smiled even more when she realized that they've accepted her right away and invited her to hang out with them as if she was a longtime friend.

 _So this is what it's like to have multiple friends,_ Arbil thought. _Or better yet, family._

After the group finished their fill of pie, they left to go back home and do their homework. Arbil helped Dialo and Chelan clean up then left to go back to BlancBlack Castle.

 _Maybe tomorrow, I'll hang out with Rawberry. I'm interested to know more about her… strange eating diets._

With that in mind, Arbil made it to the castle and hung out with Kcalb and Etihw for the rest of the day.

* * *

 **And that's it for now! I'll have the next chapter up by next week. See you then. Review please!**


	7. Bugs are for Eating

**Hey guys! I hope all of you are having a merry Christmas, or happy Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. I just came back from a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. I was supposed to see snow and do some skiing, but that idea was quickly botched as it wasn't snowing. I did see the Parthenon and went to a hotel with tons of beautiful Christmas decorations, so it wasn't a complete waste. Anyway, enjoy the holidays!**

* * *

Arbil flew up above the clouds in the Gray Village and the surrounding areas. She hummed to herself as she gracefully flew up and down in the air like a wave, and doing an occasional loop-de-loop. She decided that she wanted to get an aerial view of the area, and she immensely loved the view. Unlike her world where everything looked the same, each part of the Gray Garden had its own unique element to it, no two place exactly alike. Just another perk of why she loved this world.

Arbil was currently flying over Apple Park, her face and body facing the sun with her eyes closed, until she heard a girly shriek. She was so startled that she yelped as well and lost a bit of altitude. She flapped her wings to steady herself.

Arbil looked below to the direction of the scream. It was further to the right of the park. "That sounded like Macarona. I wonder what's wrong?"

She flew to the direction of the scream and observed the scene from the sky before landing. There were several caterpillars wriggling around, Macarona lying on the ground in fetal position, and Rawberry laughing at her.

Arbil landed in front of the girls. "Are you guys all right?" she asked, her eyes roving around them for potential danger. "I heard Macarona scream."

"Hey Arbil," Rawberry greeted. "Yeah, we're fine."

"But I heard Macarona yell," Arbil said as she kneeled down next to the angel who was quietly sobbing.

"Oh, a caterpillar got on her, so she's too scared to take it off."

As Arbil observed Macarona closely, she saw a small caterpillar crawling on her arm. The hybrid simply grabbed the bug and set it to the side.

Macarona sat up, wiping her tears. "Thanks Arbil. You're a lifesaver. Rawberry refused to remove that bug, and instead laughed at me."

"I was gonna get it off you. Eventually."

"What are you guys doing with bugs anyway?" Arbil asked.

"We're collecting bugs to make my bug jam later on," the pink demon explained, holding up a box.

"I don't know why you always drag me along to do these things with you," Macarona complained. "You know I hate bugs."

"I told you, bugs are friends," Rawberry said, holding one up.

"But you still eat them!"

"Um, if you need help, I will gladly take Macarona's place if she doesn't want to collect anymore," Arbil politely interjected.

"Really?" The angel hugged Arbil tightly. "Thank you, Arbil! You may be mixed, but you are an angel today."

"I guess it's okay," Rawberry pouted cutely. "I'll just have to tease Macarona another day. I need about fifteen more caterpillars please."

Arbil extended her claws. "No problem."

In less than a minute, fifteen caterpillars were defeated and collected.

Rawberry stared at Arbil in awe. "Wow, that's the fastest I've ever seen anybody beat up bugs. You're amazing, Arbil."

The hybrid blushed. "I try my best. Hey, is it alright if I try your bug jam?"

Macarona, who stuck around and watched, gaped at Arbil.

Rawberry's eyes twinkled. "Sure! Come over my house in fifteen minutes. I'll have a fresh batch made." With that, she grabbed her box, unfolded her hair wings, and flew into the air.

Macarona approached Arbil. "Um Arbil, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? My caretaker always told me to try new things."

"Yes, but maybe not Rawberry's food creations." They continued conversing as they left Apple Park, defeating caterpillars along the way. Well, Arbil mostly. "She's been into weird food lately. She started eating seafood."

"That sounds tasty actually. And besides, bugs may be gross but they are a great source of protein."

Macarona sighed. "I guess I can't change your mind. Don't get sick, all right?"

Arbil smiled. "I'll try. Thanks for the heads up, though."

Arbil and Macarona arrived at Rawberry's house at the appointed time. Macarona knocked on the door. Who answered the door wasn't Rawberry though. It looked like an older and more sensible version of Rawberry.

"Hello, Macarona," the girl said.

"Hello Raspbel. Rawberry invited us over."

"Oh yes," Raspbel looked over to Arbil with a smile. "And you must be Arbil. Rawberry mentioned you."

Arbil waved. "Hello."

"Please, both of you come in."

They entered the house and Arbil took in the surroundings. They were many jars scattered around filled with some kind of red goo, and strawberries placed on small tables.

"Hey guys!" Rawberry shouted. She ran up to Arbil and grabbed her hand. "Come sit here, Arbil."

The pink demon pulled Arbil to the table and sat her on a chair. Before the hybrid could blink, there was a plate of toast spread with red jam in front of her. Rawberry sat to her right, intently staring at her. Macarona quietly sat at her other side, and Raspbel placed a plate of cookies and poured a cup of tea for everyone.

Arbil picked up the toast. "Are you sure about this, Arbil?" Macarona asked cautiously.

"Yup!" And on that note, Arbil bit off a piece and chewed. Everyone remained silent as they waited for Arbil's reactions.

She smiled. "It's really good!"

"Yay!" Rawberry cheered. "Finally, someone who shares my tastes. I'm making Arbil my new best friend, Macarona."

"I'm okay with that, as long as you don't force me to eat bug-related food."

"Here Arbil," Raspbel said, pushing the cookies to her, "the cookies taste better with that."

"Thank you," said Arbil, happily munching on a cookie and downing it with a warm cup of chamomile tea.

For the rest of the day, Arbil tasted Rawberry's weird food and loved every single one of them. Macarona had to leave soon after before she got nauseous.

* * *

 **I wish everybody a happy holidays! Review please!**


	8. Frozen Yogurt and Flower Crowns

**Hey everybody! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Just updating for the New Year, and also to let you know that I start school next week. Hopefully I'll be able to update another chapter in two weeks but it might take a bit of time because the next chapter is a little longer. Again, this is another filler chapter. I'm sorry if this is boring you guys, but it's necessary to build Arbil's character. I promise that in the later chapters that there will be significant plot coming up.**

 **Anyway, let's continue with the story!**

* * *

"But I want to play outside!" Yosafire whined.

"I already told you, not until you finish your homework!" Froze sternly commanded.

Arbil watched, amused, as she ate her chocolate frozen yogurt with the girls at Yosafire's house. She decided to hang out with the fire demon and ice angel after they finished school for the day. She was just going to hang out with them and see what they've learned in school so far, but Froze brought over frozen yogurt to eat as a snack. As always, Arbil was curious about the food, tried it, and loved the frozen treat right away. She was more surprised that it was Froze's favorite treat, a girl who rarely shows any emotions.

"But Arbil will sit here, bored out of her mind," Yosafire said.

The hybrid smiled. "I don't mind if we play later. Besides, education is more important. You should be lucky."

"See?" Froze said, hands on her hips. "Even Arbil thinks the same thing. Also, do you want Ms. Greif to put you on weed pulling duty again?"

Yosafire flinched, sweat pouring down her face in fear. "No! I can't take that anymore!" She recovered and suddenly became very determined. "Okay, I'll do it, but you have to help me, Froze."

Froze groaned. "Fine, but you should really be doing this on your own."

Arbil giggled as the girls sat down and did their homework, her taking in the words of the materials. Well, Froze did. Yosafire sat there confused as Froze had to explain the same subjects multiple times.

About two hours later, Yosafire slammed her book closed. "Finally done! Now let's go play!"

"Don't forget to put your homework in your backpack," Froze reminded the fire demon.

"Right!" Yosafire stuffed the book into her bag. "All done! Let's go!"

She ran out the door. Froze sighed and Arbil giggled as they followed behind at a more casual pace. Yosafire slowed down in order for them to catch up and they all walked together to the flower garden. They sat down on the flowers and Yosafire taught Arbil how to make flower crowns.

"If I may ask you two, can you tell me about this flame world invasion?" Arbil inquired, struggling on making her crown. "I asked Etihw and Kcalb about it, but she said she was out of commission for the most of it, and he was fighting their Devil."

"Yosafire knows better than any of us," said Froze. "She saw the flame demons first."

"And got attacked by Mr. Flame Bat," Yosafire added.

"But I'll explain. So, I went outside at night one time, and got beat up by a flame bat, but Froze and Etihw healed me later. Then, another day, I saw a demon who I call Pervy McShades with the flame bat, then I saw another demon who I couldn't beat and she disappeared. Then Froze, Rawberry, Macarona, and I explored some forests, then got captured by the demons, and got taken to their world, but a girl who called herself a passing demon helped us escape. We disguised ourselves and returned to our world with the help of two cat girls, then we found our world was filled with all kinds of fire demons. Everyone we met as we made our way to the castle were severely injured, then we fought their Devil when old man was down. He roughed me up a bit, but old man saved me, we beat their Devil, then everything returned to normal."

Arbil silently sat there, her crown in her hands as she absorbed the rushed story, piecing parts together. "Okay," she said slowly. "I think I got it. Anything else you want to add, Froze?"

"No. That's about it in a nutshell."

"Honestly though, it sounds like all you have through a lot," Arbil commented. She frowned when she looked at her finished messy flower crown.

"Yeah, hopefully nothing like that will happen again," the fire demon said. She placed her perfect flower crown on Arbil's head. "Here Arbil. This one is for you."

The hybrid touched the crown, a gentle smile on her lips. "Thanks."

"And this is for you, Froze," Yosafire said while placing the crown on Froze.

The ice angel blushed profusely. "T-Thank you."

"But believe it or not Arbil, that's not the worst our world has been through," Yosafire continued. "Very, very, very long ago, our world was at war where angels and demons fought one another. Even Etihw and old man were enemies."

Arbil's eyes widened a bit in disbelief. "Really? They seem to get along so well now. It's kind of hard to imagine. Can you tell me that story?"

"Unfortunately, we don't know a lot," Froze answered. "No one in the village does. The war wasn't recorded in any books in great details. The only ones who really know are Etihw, Mr. Kcalb, Mr. Wodahs, and Ms. Grora because they fought in the war."

"Oh, all right. I'll ask them another time then."

Arbil practiced making flower crowns with Yosafire encouraging her for the remainder of the day.

* * *

 **And that's it for now. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up in about two weeks. Here's to 2016! Review please!**


	9. Mystery of the Hybrid

**Hey everybody! I just got through my first week of college as a junior at a different school! I only have four classes but they are pretty rigorous. For example, I have organic chemistry 2 and business writing. Orgo is difficult for me because though I am a science major, any kind of chemistry is not my strong point, and I'm not good with writing unless it's my own free will. But I think I can handle it. Anyway, I managed to finish writing a chapter (a somewhat long one) and I'm half way down with the next one, so I should have it uploaded by next week. Enjoy!**

* * *

The head angel in his kneeled position watered flowers in the inner garden with a calm and serene expression. It was early morning and Wodahs was getting started on his morning chores. The inner garden was open to the outside, so sunlight shined down on all the plants. Morning dew rested on the leaves and petals, reflecting the sunrays and making the garden sparkle.

As usual, Wodahs was so far off into space that he didn't notice someone approaching him from behind. A light tap poked him on the shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. He gasped and sharply turned his head around to find Arbil standing above him.

Arbil recoiled, withdrawing her hand. "Oh, I'm sorry Wodahs. I didn't mean to startle you."

The head angel sighed. "No, it's my fault. I tend to drift off time to time without knowing. Also, I'm usually the only one awake at this time in the castle." He continued watering. "Speaking of which, you're usually not up this early. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just…"

Wodahs turned back to Arbil when she heard her tone shift. Her hands were folded behind her back and a light blush decorated her cheeks. Her head was down, indicating that she was embarrassed.

She continued. "I want to help you with your chores today. I've seen you working in the castle with no assistance and felt guilty, so as repayment for allowing me to live in the Gray Garden and castle, I want to help you with your duties. If you'll allow me."

When she finished her proposal, she looked up and was taken aback by his expression. His usually stoic visage had a small, gentle smile on his lips. A genuine grin. Wodahs was completely fine serving Etihw and his older brother in order to keep watch over them. He was fine doing all of the castle work (though Kcalb and Etihw should really be doing them) and he knew he was greatly appreciated for his hard work, but never had anyone asked if he needed help. Not even Grora who almost does the same activities as him.

Wodahs handed the watering can to Arbil. "Of course. I've done these flowers, so you can do the rest while I pull out the weeds."

Arbil accepted the can with a smile. "Okay!"

Arbil walked to the side and watered the flowers as instructed. As she hummed a song to herself, a couple of birds perched on a nearby tree. They cocked their heads to the side as they observed the hybrid, attracted by her humming. Arbil looked up and grinned at the birds. She put down the can and held out her hand, palm open.

One of the birds hopped down from the branch and landed in her hand. Arbil giggled as she gently stroked the bird's feathers using her finger. The bird chirped in response.

"You know, birds are my favorite animals," Arbil said out loud to no one in particular. "They remind me of angels and demons, how we have the ability of flight just like them. But my most favorite aspect of birds is their singing, which I like to do sometimes."

After petting the bird, Arbil held out her hand back to the tree and the bird landed on a close branch. It turned around to watch Arbil again, its companion nestled right next to it. Arbil resumed watering the flowers, humming once again.

Soon, more birds flew in and perched on the tree, observing the hybrid and listening to her song. Since the birds arrived, Wodahs watched with interest as the animals were attracted to Arbil. And, he wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he could have sworn that the flowers bent toward her.

* * *

Etihw calmly sipped her lukewarm earl grey afternoon tea that Wodahs poured for her and Kcalb. She licked her lips. "This is delicious as always, Wodahs," she complimented.

The head angel nodded. "Thank you, Lady Etihw, but it wasn't just me who made it. Arbil helped as well."

"Really, she did? I'll have to compliment her later then."

"I'm hearing from the villagers that she's been following you around," said Kcalb. "Is that true?"

"Yes. She asked me this morning if she could help me with my chores, so I allowed her."

Eti smiled cutely. "Oh yes, I've seen you two walking around a bit earlier. She follows so close behind you like a little duckling."

Wodahs' lips twitched at the God's simile.

"Eti, that wasn't a very good comparison," Kcalb deadpanned.

"Well, it's true."

"Yes," said the head angel, "instead of asking me for assistance whenever we pass each other, she just follows me for the entire day."

"Where is she now," Etihw asked.

"I told her to take a little break. She's been working nonstop since the morning."

All of them looked up at the window when they heard a knock on the glass. It was Arbil flying in front of the window. She waved at them with a bright smile. Etihw reciprocated the gesture, the brothers simply nodded. The hybrid flew away to wherever.

Wodahs turned to Etihw. "Lady Etihw, I would like to discuss something about Arbil."

The God placed her cup down. "Why, is something the matter with her," she asked with concern.

"No, but I want to discuss about what I saw this morning. Birds flew to her and listened to her humming, and the plants seemed to gravitate to her. She may not possess any magic, but if she did it would be associated with life."

"Yes, I've noticed as well," said Etihw, her tone turning serious. "She hasn't shown any magical abilities since coming here, but I can sense something in her. A powerful magic locked deep inside her and very similar to my own."

Kcalb, who was listening quietly, perked up in alert. "You don't mean she's a-"

"It's just a theory, but it's most likely possible. What bothers me though is if she was, why did she want to leave her world willingly despite her heritage? And she said they already have a God, so it doesn't really make sense."

"Maybe she lied," Kcalb suggested.

Eti shook her head. "No, she didn't. She's been honest this entire time, and she wouldn't lie now. There are some things not adding up, and only Arbil knows but it seems like she doesn't know much either."

"So, what should we do," Wodahs inquired.

"Let's continue watching her. It's obvious she doesn't know about the power within her. We shouldn't pressure her if she doesn't know anything. She'll confess to us when she's ready."

* * *

As the last chore for the day, Arbil was helping Wodahs cook dinner for Etihw and Kcalb and ochazuke for himself.

"Hey, Wodahs, can I ask you something," Arbil asked while she boiled the rice.

"Of course. What is it?" he responded, boiling green tea.

"You and Kcalb are brothers right?"

"That is correct. He's my older brother."

"But he's a Devil, and you're an angel." She tilted her head in confusion. "How exactly are you two related? Were one of you adopted?"

"No." Wodahs pickled some vegetables. "To be honest, it's been a very long time ago that I've forgotten our origins. We are brothers by blood, and that's that."

"Okay, I'm glad that you two are best brothers despite being on opposite sides of the spectrum. Also, how come you're not ruler of the Gray Garden? You do all of the work around here, so it doesn't seem fair."

The head angel smirked as he set up food for Eti and Kcalb. "I can see why you think that, how they only sit in the Great Hall all day playing games, but they mean well. They are more powerful than me. The only reason they don't do much is because the world is at peace, so there is no need for them to do anything. And I like serving them. When they occasionally disagree to the point of starting another war, I keep them in check."

Arbil giggled. "All right, if it's okay with you. Is the ochazuke done yet?"

"Yes, let me set it first."

Arbil watched as he scooped out the white rice and put them in two bowls. Next, he placed the pickled vegetables on top, then poured the green tea on top.

"It's finished. Just let it cool down." Wodahs picked up the tray containing Etihw and Kcalb's food. "I'll be back."

On that note, he teleported out of the kitchen. While she waited for the ochazuke to cool, she cleaned up all of the pots and pans and put away the ingredients. By the time she finished, Wodahs returned.

He blinked as he gazed at the clean kitchen. "Oh, you already cleaned up. Thank you."

Arbil smiled. "You're welcome. Now let's eat!"

They sat at the kitchen table and ate the dish. Arbil had a huge grin on her face while Wodahs had an almost invisible blush on his cheeks.

"This is really delicious," Arbil complimented. "I can see why this is your favorite dish."

"You helped too. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks. Can I help you with your chores another day?"

Wodahs, for the second time that day, gave a smile. "If you truly want to."

* * *

 **That's it for now! Now, we have some plot development pertaining to Arbil. I'll let you guys guess what they were talking about, but I think you'll figure it out soon. I'm not very good with hiding information; I'm an honest person. I'll have the next chapter up by next week. See you then!**

 **Review please!**


	10. Music and Cats

**Hey guys! Here is another update. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Arbil closed her eyes contently as she played her new Greek lyre. She was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground in the flower garden beside BlancBlack Castle. Earlier, she was exploring the structure and stumbled into a music room with no one in it. It was filled with all kinds of instruments, from violins to harps, to flutes to pianos. There was one black grand piano that was playing on its own. So that's where the music since she's been living here was coming from.

The one instrument that caught Arbil's attention was a Greek lyre. Its golden frame gleamed as a ray of sunlight struck it. She walked to it and grabbed it, running her hand through the olive branch engravings on the frame. She glided her hand on the strings, listening to each note as each reached a higher pitch than the last.

She smiled to herself as memories flooded into her mind. Clutching the lyre, she practically flew out of the music room to the Great Hall to ask Etihw if she could keep it.

"Of course you may," the God consented. "All of the instruments in there are just for display. May I ask why you want that one out of all the others?"

Hugging the instrument to her chest, a blush blossomed on Arbil's face. "It reminds me of my childhood. My caretaker made me one as one of the few presents she gave me. I cherished it immensely, especially after she disappeared, but because the materials it was made out of weren't strong enough, it fell apart after some time."

"I didn't know you played an instrument," Kcalb said, interested in this new development.

"It's been a long time. I've nearly forgotten myself."

"Can you play a small piece for us," Etihw asked, sitting up straight and excited. "I would love to hear your beautiful music."

Arbil looked away shyly, her blush becoming redder. "I'm sorry, I can't. I'm out of practice, so I don't want to damage your hearing."

Etihw pouted. "Aww. Well, I suppose that's reasonable. Be sure to let us hear once you're done practicing though, all right?"

Arbil nodded. "I promise."

And that's how she ended up in the flower garden, quietly practicing and getting the feel of the instrument again. There was only one song that she knew since she played it a lot when she was younger, so she played that one. At first, she plucked the strings trying to remember the notes. Once she heard them, the song flooded into her mind and she played it hesitantly, sometimes playing the same note to make sure it sounded right or starting over to ensure that the song was in rhythm.

After a few minutes of practice, Arbil's hand was expertly stroking the strings in a smooth manner, her hand subconsciously playing the instrument now that she remembered the notes. She had her eyes closed, the familiar music surrounding her. As she continued playing, her memories of her caretaker burst forth: how she handed the handmade instrument to Arbil one day, teaching her how to play a song patiently for once, and whenever she played, she would catch her caretaker smiling when she thought she wasn't looking.

Arbil softly sang the song, the warm breeze carrying the music. Because her eyes were closed, she didn't see the flowers around her bending toward her. Or someone landing beside her.

"So you're the newcomer that everyone's been talking about."

Arbil stopped playing and opened her eyes. The flowers returned to their original position as soon as she stopped singing. She looked up and saw somebody that she hadn't seen yet. She was an angel with dark gray, glossy hair, two long pigtails hanging from the back and a single strand standing on top with an ahoge. She wore a knee length black dress with white buttons on the front and dark gray boots with buttons too, plus black leggings. No halo rested on her head and a black eyepatch covered her left eye.

Arbil smiled up at the angel. "Hello, I'm Arbil. I don't believe I've met you yet."

The angel smiled back. "I'm Alela Grora, but everyone calls me Grora. I'm sorry if I haven't introduced myself sooner. I'm usually patrolling the outer areas, so I'm not at the castle or village often."

"No, I understand. Your work is very important. So, what things have you heard about me?"

"Nice things, I assure you. Honestly, I was worried that another invader was here to destroy our world when I first heard about you, but after hearing from most people that you're kind and trustworthy, I had nothing to worry about anymore."

"I'm glad I've made a great impression on you, then."

"You're welcome. By the way, I love your music. You play the lyre and sing really well."

Arbil's face heated up. "Oh, I didn't think anyone was listening. Thank you."

Looking at Grora closely, Arbil noticed that she looked almost identical to someone else.

She must have been staring because Grora quirked an eyebrow. "Something on my face?"

Arbil blinked. "Oh sorry, I was staring. It's just you look similar to Wodahs."

Grora groaned, rolling her single dark gray eye. "I'm tired of hearing that. That head angel and I are not siblings just because we wear similar clothing or have the same color."

Arbil shook her head, putting her hands up defensively. "Oh no, I didn't think you two were related. I was talking about the eyepatch."

Grora clamped her mouth shut from further ranting. "Oh. You're the first person to think that. I appreciate it."

The eye-patched angel took a step back. "Well, Arbil, it was nice to finally meet you. I must continue patrolling."

Arbil stood up quickly, still holding her lyre. "Wait, may I accompany you? I've been meaning to explore more, but I'm too afraid of getting lost."

Grora looked away with a thoughtful expression. "I suppose you can. I could use the extra help if you want to assist me."

Arbil eagerly nodded. "Sure! Let me put my lyre in my room first."

The hybrid flew back to the castle with Grora beside her. When she placed her instrument in a safe place, she went back outside and followed Grora east. Arbil's heart pumped adrenaline through her body as she got excited about discovering new places. She loved the Gray Village and the nearby areas, but she's always willing to experience new things.

Arbil gazed down as they flew over the beach. She saw several ponds scattered around and trees that had raindrops on them.

"Wow!" Arbil exclaimed. "This place is amazing! What's it called?"

"It's the Sea of Tears," Grora answered over the roar of the waves.

They then flew north over a river flowing through a forest.

"And this place?"

"River Forest."

Arbil gave Grora a confused look, her eyebrows scrunched together. "Do all the places in this world have literal meanings to their locations?"

The eye-patched angel sighed. "Yes, they do. I'm as befuddled as you are. I didn't come up with the names, just so you know." She tucked in her wings, gradually descending. "We have to stop for a bit. I have to check on something."

"Okay."

They landed on the ground and walked up the path. Arbil's head swiveled around as she took in the colorful plants and the crystal clear blue river to her right. Silver fish swam in the water, occasionally jumping out and splashing down.

She was so absorbed by the new surroundings that she nearly crashed into Grora's back when she stopped. Arbil stumbled back and looked over Grora's shoulder to see what caused her to stop. She was holding a hovering white, medium-sized diamond in her hands, observing it at every angle.

"Isn't that one of Etihw's diamonds?" Arbil asked.

"Yes," answered Grora without looking away. "One of my jobs is to make sure that the diamonds are in good condition and functioning properly. If not, I have to report to Etihw so that she can repair them."

"Oh yeah. Yosafire told me once that they are supposed to protect the entire Garden. But I've only seen white diamonds around here. Aren't Kcalb's diamonds around as well?"

Grora, after inspecting the diamond, let it go and turned to Arbil. "Now that I think about it, no, they are only around BlancBlack Castle. I believe his are only for show, but I guess Etihw somehow convinced him to make his own, even though they don't have any purpose." Grora smiled. "It's kinda cute. Sir Devil always said he's destructive yet Etihw comforts him saying she'll fix it."

Arbil smiled, silently agreeing with the eye-patched angel. She hangs out with the God and Devil most of the time and loved the affections they obviously showed one another. They may not be together together, but they do get along and argue like a very, very, very old married couple.

"Come on, let's continue so we can move on to the next area," said Grora, pulling Arbil out of her thoughts.

"Okay."

When Grora was done examining the diamonds, approving that none of them needed immediate repair, they flew further north with Grora in the lead.

The eye-patched angel twisted her head to Arbil. "I need to warn you, be prepared for what you're about to see ahead."

Arbil looked at Grora confused and slightly scared. "Why? Is there something terrible ahead?"

Grora looked away. "You could say that. You're about to see a whole new perspective of the Gray Garden."

Arbil gulped. "Alright."

The hybrid understood what the eye-patched angel meant when they flew above a cliff. Her eyes widened at the scenery before her. For a split second, Arbil thought that she somehow teleported back to her world. The environment drastically changed; even the sky changed, the sun disappearing behind dark clouds that covered the entire area. A vast land filled with nothing but dead trees and bushes, bones, and dirt spread out in front of her. The only sound produced was silence; not even enemies occupied the area.

Arbil gaped. "What is _this_ place?"

"Wasteland," Grora simply responded, not looking at Arbil.

The hybrid suddenly felt nauseous as bile churned in her stomach. This place was way too similar to her old home. It was even named exactly as it. How appropriate.

Arbil swallowed back some bile that managed to crawl up her throat. "I don't understand," she said quietly. "Why does a place like this exist in the Gray Garden? Etihw recreated the world after the war, right? Why did she leave this area untouched?"

Grora sighed under her breath. "Because it's a reminder. A reminder to not start another war and to never forget the lives that were lost."

The eye-patched angel had a faraway look in her eye, as if she was actually in the war, which she was at one point. "This area was a massive battlefield. So many angels and demons died here, even a few of my closest angelic friends."

Grora didn't shed a single tear but Arbil knew she was still grieving inside, even after so many centuries. She wanted to comfort her but she didn't think Grora would appreciate it, especially since it happened so long ago. Arbil just kept quiet and tried not to stare too much at the environment.

They continued flying until the land shifted again, the land gray everywhere, faceless tombs littered every inch. Unlike Wasteland, this area had enemies such as ghosts.

"Let me guess. This is Graveyard, and where all of the angels and demons who died in the war are buried," Arbil deadpanned.

Grora nodded.

Thankfully, they didn't land in either areas. Arbil didn't know how she would've reacted if she set foot on them.

Soon, they came upon some greenery again. They sky was bright orange and the ground was filled with normal animals again.

"Thank goodness we're back," Arbil commented when they landed.

"Yes." Grora said, inspecting another diamond. "Sorry you had to see that. There was no way around to get here."

"It's all right. I'm genuinely surprised though, that those kinds of places are in a wonderful world like this."

"Yeah, the head angel and I tried to convince Etihw to change those areas, but she always declined, so we left it alone. I believe that she leaves them there as punishment to herself for not stopping the war before it began."

They continued onward, the time of the forest changing when the sky split into two, suddenly turning blue with puffy white clouds.

"What's up with these forests?" Arbil asked. "Each one of them has their own time of day."

"That's what special about this place. Daybreak Forest, Midday Forest, and Evening Forest are one, yet they all experience different times in a day. They perpetually stay in their specific times, not affected by the rest of the world's time."

"Oh."

"There's something else I need to check on. Stay here."

"'Kay."

Grora flew away, leaving Arbil in Midday Forest. The hybrid casually strolled through the sunny forest, checking it in her mental list as one of her top five favorite places.

She abruptly stopped when she noticed a white cat in the middle of the path. It sat on its hunches, staring up at Arbil curiously with unusual bright red eyes.

"A cat?" Arbil asked herself. She looked side to side. "I don't believe I saw you appear anywhere." She turned back to the feline. "Where did you come from?"

The white cat meowed in response, its tail swaying lazily.

Arbil smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well, I won't question it."

She sat on the ground, her legs folded under her. "Come here, kitty." Arbil said in a gentle tone.

The cat bounded to the hybrid's lap. Arbil stroked the feline, feeling its body vibrate as it purred loudly. She pet it behind the ear when it nudged her hand with its head.

The hybrid felt a slight nudge on her side. She turned her head to find a black cat with red eyes touching its nose on her arm. The black cat meowed at Arbil, prodding her arm with its paw, wanting attention too.

"You want some love too," Arbil rhetorically asked.

She pet the black cat with one hand while still petting the white one. She giggled as they purred and rubbed against her legs.

"You two are so cute! But really, where did you two come from? I've never seen cats around here."

The cats moved away from her once they've gotten their fill of stroking. They stood in front of her, side by side, then transformed. Arbil's mouth fell open as she watched in amazement as the normal-looking cats shifted into demon cats girls.

"I believe this is Arbil the newcomer, Arbus," the white-haired cat girl said to her twin.

"Yes, Ater," the black-haired cat demon responded, "she's the newcomer, Arbil."

"The one that Lord Kcalb mentions sometimes?" Ater asked.

"Yes, he talks about her from time to time."

Arbil finally managed to gather her voice. "You two talk funny. Also, you know Kcalb?"

"Oh yes." Ater brightened at his name. "He's our master and we love him very much."

Arbus continued the sentence. "Though he always gets angry at us whenever we don't do what he says."

Ater smiled. "I agree. 'You two are the biggest idiots,' he frequently says."

Arbil grinned up at the two. "Even if he does say those things, he loves you two deeply, or else he probably would've gotten rid of you two by now."

"We know he cares for us," said Arbus.

"And we will stay by his side no matter what," Ater finished.

Arbil smiled at the pure loyalty of the cat demon girls. It was great that Kcalb had people that care for him, despite being an emo Devil.

"Hey, Arbil. Sorry it took me so long."

The hybrid and the cat girls looked up when they saw Grora flying towards them. She landed next to Arbil, not yet registering the demons.

"Hope you weren't too-"

The eye-patched angel stopped talking when her single eye landed on the white cat demon. All of a sudden, her aura shifted drastically. Her eye had a murderous intent in it as she glared at Ater. Sensing the malice oozing out of Grora, Ater hid behind Arbus. Even Arbil leaned away from Grora.

"You," the eye-patched angel snarled at Ater. "Give me back my eye!"

Ater sighed. "Come on, Grora. I already said I'm sorry. Can't you let it pass?"

"Not until I take back what is rightfully mine," Grora answered while taking out her bow and arrows out of nowhere.

"I believe it's time to go, Arbus," Ater said shakily.

"Yes, time to leave."

The two cat girls teleported away without a trace.

"You're not getting away from me this time," Grora yelled, teleporting away as well.

She completely forgot that she had Arbil with her, and left her behind. The hybrid sat on the ground, still processing the scene from before. She shook her head, reminding herself to ask Etihw about Grora and Ater's history, and continued sitting down for a few minutes to see if Grora would come back for her.

Arbil sighed. "I don't think she's coming back. She seemed way too focused on Ater when she left. Guess I'll head back on my own."

Arbil stood up, brushed dirt off her skirt, and flew into the air. She didn't know where to go. She definitely didn't want to pass over Graveyard and Wasteland again, so she flew to Daybreak Forest and miraculously found a warp slate back to the castle.

* * *

 **That's it for now. I'm not sure when the next update will be because the next chapter is probably the same length as this one. We'll see. I hope that I did Ater and Arbus' dialogue true to their character. It was kind of difficult. Anyway, have a nice day and please review!**


	11. Hanging with Deities

**Hey guys. So, I'm going through some issues and my interest in this story is slowly dwindling. I'm trying my best to push through but I haven't been in a motivated mood recently. Also, I have my first organic chemistry 2 test coming up, and have no clue how to pass because the professor isn't teaching in a way that I can understand. For now, I'll update this chapter then take a little break so that I can focus more on my studies. Sorry to leave you guys hanging, but I'm sure you understand my predicament. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Can you tell me about the war between the angels and demons, Etihw?"

The God turned to Arbil when she spoke up. The hybrid was sitting on the ground, absentmindedly playing her lyre. They were at the castle's side garden enjoying the late afternoon. Earlier that day, as promised, Arbil played and sung her song to Eti, Kcalb, and Wodahs in the Great Hall. They all enjoyed her performance.

"Sure," Etihw answered, "but it is not a pleasant tale. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"I was just curious. When Grora mentioned it, I sensed grief in her. It seems the war still has a great effect on some of you, even though it occurred ages ago.

"And don't worry about the violent parts," Arbil added. "I'm used to it."

Etihw nodded. "All right. It's only fair that you know since you live here now."

 _This is a perfect opportunity,_ the God thought to herself. _If I tell her about our history, she may be willing to share more about her past._

Eti took in a deep breath as she prepared to tell the tragic story.

"Long ago, eons to be more precise, the Gray Garden wasn't called what it is now. Angels and demons still lived in this world, but in different realms: Heaven and Hell. In the beginning, we didn't fight. We didn't particularly like each other, but we respected one another, maintaining neutrality.

"Then, all of a sudden, Kcalb started an attack on the angels and me. They were small skirmishes at first, but eventually evolved into an all-out war. That was about the time Wodahs joined with me as my head angel to fight against his brother."

Etihw plucked a flower from the ground and twirled it in her hand. "From then on, Kcalb and I fought, along with our people. He was overpowering, but I always won our battle." She smirked at the last sentence.

"I managed to subdue him by sealing him underground for hundreds of years. I thought it would last for eternity, enough time for us to wipe out the demons, but he escaped sooner than I anticipated. He came back with a vengeance, and it was more difficult for me to fight him.

"The war waged on for so long that we forgot the sole reason why we were fighting in the first place. Eventually, Kcalb destroyed the entire world, leaving nothing but ashes and bodies. I lost a few of my important angelic warriors: Ciel, Sherbet, and Rigatona."

The whole time that Etihw was speaking, Arbil was gliding her hand through the strings on her lyre. At the mention of the names, the hybrid froze, abruptly stopping her playing. They sounded very similar to her angel friends' names. She gazed up at the God, but Etihw wasn't looking her way. Arbil had some inkling why Eti's past angels had similar names to her friends, but she refrained from asking. If she didn't figure it out, Etihw would've explained more but she didn't. The hybrid knew that the God thought she was smart enough to know what she was getting at.

Arbil swallowed. "What happened after," she quietly questioned.

"I was so devastated by the destruction, I nearly lost hope. But Wodahs spoke to me, to both of us actually, that 'woke' up, you could say. After that, we reconciled, I recreated the world, and we achieved everlasting peace."

"What about Wodahs and Grora's eyes?" Arbil resumed playing. "What happened to them in order to lose their eyes?"

"In a fit of rage, Kcalb lashed out at Wodahs, taking his right eye. He deeply regrets it to this day. As for Grora, Ater was being her mischievous self and took Grora's left eye for fun." Etihw sighed under her breath. "I really wish she would let it go. It's been ages. I doubt Ater even has it anymore."

The two remained silent as Etihw finished her story. Arbil contemplated the horrid history of the Gray Garden.

She turned her head to Etihw with a smile. "Thank you, Etihw for telling me that story, and for trusting me enough to tell it."

The God returned the gesture. "You're welcome."

Arbil looked down to her instrument. "Now that you've told me something about you, I'd like to tell you something about myself. Something personal."

"Alright," said Etihw, waiting for the girl's response.

The hybrid took a deep breath. "I don't know how, but I have a huge gap in my memory."

Eti's eyes widened a little. "Really? It seems that you're so sure of yourself all the time. And you talk about your memories without any problems."

"Well, my childhood and late adulthood memories are the only ones I recall with clarity," Arbil explained. "The middle is a blank slate. I can't remember anything about it.

"The earliest I can recall is my early young adult years, then nothing. After that, all I can remember is living in my hut in Dead Woods."

 _So that's what I felt strange about her,_ Etihw thought. _She has partial amnesia, and it must be linked to the power locked inside her._

"Would you like me to remove it," the God offered.

Arbil gazed at her, confused. "What?"

"I can remove your memory gap, so that you can remember what happened during that time. Would you like me to?"

Arbil's eyes flitted back and forth as she contemplated Etihw's offer. The God could hear the cogs in the hybrid's mind turning at a rapid rate.

Arbil shot Eti a small smile. "Thanks, but I'll have to decline. If it was erased from my memories, then it must have been traumatizing in order for me to forget. Plus, I feel that it's one of those things where it will reveal itself when the time is right."

Etihw grinned. _Good. No need to start anything prematurely if she is what I think she is._

"As you wish."

"Also, I didn't come here with permission from my God," Arbil added.

"What do you mean," Eti asked.

"As I said when I first came here, my friend Crimson opened the portal for me. Before I could get in, Revlis attacked us, not wanting us to leave. That's how I arrived heavily injured in your world."

"Why didn't he come with you? From the sound of it, he's a close friend of yours."

"He's my only friend," Arbil responded with a smile. "He didn't come with me because he works for Revlis, so he would've noticed Crimson's absence. All Darkened angels work for Revlis."

Etihw arched an elegant eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. "Darkened angels?"

"They are angels who turn into demons and gain demonic powers," Arbil explained. "It's a disease that only exists in my former home world. It can happen to any angel at any point in their lives. No one knows how it came to exist or why it affects certain angels."

"It's a disease? Is it life-threatening?"

Arbil vigorously shook her head, her long hair swaying. "No, no, no! It's completely harmless. It actually makes the affected angel more powerful, almost on par with a God or Devil. But it greatly changes their personalities most of the time, sometimes for the worst, and their angelic power changes to a demonic power."

"And your friend is a Darkened angel?" Etihw clarified.

"Yes." Arbil had a far-off look as she reminisced her past. "He Darkened when we were little. He collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain as the disease took over him. I watched helplessly as his feathers turned midnight black, and I sensed intense heat coming from him. His power was originally light, but now it's demonic fire.

"What I was most afraid of at the time wasn't his appearance changing, but his personality. I was scared that he wouldn't be my friend anymore, but he remained the same, at least to me."

Etihw gave Arbil a sympathetic look. "You must be very worried about him, especially since you said your God attacked you both."

"I am, but I know that he's fine. Revlis would've come after me sooner, but he hasn't shown up yet, which means that Crimson was able to hold him off."

Arbil solemnly closed her eyes. "But at what cost?"

"If you say that he's about as powerful as a god, I'm sure he's all right."

Etihw's sympathetic smile turned into a teasing smirk. "From how much you talk about him, you must admire him a lot."

Arbil's entire face heated up at the romantic implication. "Just as a friend! Nothing more like a lover or anything," she denied strongly.

The God giggled at the hybrid's flustered state.

* * *

When night fell, everyone in the castle and Gray Village were sound asleep. Their lights were off and somewhat loud snoring could be heard through the walls.

But there was one person who wasn't in their bed. She flew across the star-speckled night sky, her silhouette shadowed by the ethereal moonlight. Arbil flew over the surrounding areas, enjoying the night scene and cool breeze. She flapped her wings quietly to not disturb her fellow friends.

She was about to head back to the castle and go to sleep until she saw a dark figure standing on a cliff. She saw a black diamond cloak waving behind it.

"Kcalb?" Arbil pondered. "I wonder what's he doing out here?"

To find her answer, she glided down to the cliff, landing behind him. He didn't turn around, too busy staring at the full moon.

Arbil called out his name. "Kcalb?"

The Devil jolted then twisted his head to the hybrid. "Oh, Arbil, it's just you."

"What are you doing out here at night," she asked as she walked to his side.

Kcalb turned his gaze back to the moon. "I like looking at the moon sometimes." He glanced at Arbil from the corner of his eye. "What about you?"

"Flying at night reminds me of my home world," Arbil responded softly. "How I would fly when it was completely dark so that I wouldn't disturb anyone."

Arbil lifted her head to the moon, tilting her head to the side with a thoughtful expression. "It's weird. I don't like my former home, but I find myself thinking about it sometimes." She turned her head to Kcalb. "Strange, huh?"

Arbil waited to see if the Devil was going to respond to her question. It was rhetorical, but she wondered if he had an answer to it.

"There's nothing wrong about remembering your home, your origins," Kcalb said after a few seconds of silence. "It's a part of who you are, whether it's good or bad. It's what you choose to do with your life after that matters most."

Arbil shot Kcalb a surprised look, not expecting him to give such a philosophical advice.

She smiled at him in a teasing manner. "That was really meaningful, Kcalb. I have a feeling that Etihw told you that once upon a time."

His only response was a barely audible groan.

They continued standing there, staring at the moon until Kcalb stoked up a conversation. "You know, sometimes you can see shooting stars here."

"Really? I want to see one. You can wish on them, right?"

Kcalb nodded. "Yes, or as stories go."

"What would you wish for, then?"

"To see a friend of mine once more and apologize."

"Okay." Arbil didn't ask him to elaborate more.

"And you?"

Arbil's eyes dimmed a bit. She tilted her head up, looking past the moon as if she could see something beyond it that Kcalb couldn't see. She spoke with a soft, gentle tone. "Even though he told me not to return, I wish to see Crimson one more time."

* * *

 **And that's it for now! Again, I'm sorry for leaving you guys, but I need a break. I will write the next chapter, just not update as frequently as I have been for a few weeks. It's pretty long so I'm debating whether to cut it into two chapters or leave it as one. Also, I want to write another fanfiction, so this story might be delayed even more. I'll see you soon! Please review!**


	12. Rogue Angels

**Hey guys! This week is my school's spring break, and I'm enjoying it at home. It kind of sucks because for some odd reason, mine's is earlier than most schools. But anyway, here is an update. In addition, it is the halfway point of my semester, so I might be a bit more busy than usual. I'll try to update as much as can, but no promises. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Meanwhile with Crimson…_

He threw Arbil into the portal, his heart breaking in half at the prospect of never seeing his secret crush again. He reminded himself that it was better she was safe and happy elsewhere than here.

His fire shield was slowly dissipating, so he tapped the doorway again, and it transformed into a sphere. He grabbed it, held it close to his chest, grabbed his giant broadsword, and ran past Revlis. The God threw more shadows at him, but because of his injury inflicted by Arbil, they weren't as strong as before and Crimson easily deflected them.

The black-winged angel burst through a window and immediately flew away from the castle. He flapped his wings wildly when he heard Revlis' guttural yell echo loudly throughout the night. Crimson didn't dare look back as he flew to Arbil's home. He threw stuff around, searching for something. He didn't bother with the mess he made, seeing as how Arbil wouldn't be returning anytime soon, and he wouldn't either.

He found what he was looking for, a satchel. He stuffed the Gray Garden orb into it. He flung the strap over his shoulder and ran out of the house into the Dead Woods. He decided to run on foot so he wouldn't be seen so easily from the sky.

He ran faster when he heard multiple wings flapping behind and above him. He looked over his shoulder and saw several demons and Darkened angels pursuing him. Some of them he recognized as his co-workers that he didn't really like. He took out his broadsword and prepared to fight.

A demon swooped down with his claws out. "I knew that you were a traitor," he angrily stated. "Give us the orb!"

Crimson swiped at him with his sword and the demon was swatted aside. He banged against a dead tree, rendering him unconscious. Crimson continued onward with more of his co-workers attacking him. He knocked out some of them, but the others were slightly more powerful than him. They managed to get a few hints on him using their magic.

He slid to a stop and took them head-on. It took longer than he expected since he had to protect the portal, but he managed to defeat them all. He ran again to anywhere but the city and castle.

Not five minutes later, another wave of demons and Darkened angels came after him. He growled loudly and decided to make the first move this time. He flew up to them and performed a mighty slash with his flame-encased blade. He took them out with one swipe.

As he ran farther and farther, he was constantly being pursued. He fought back, but he was slowly losing magic energy and power. The chase lasted three days straight, and he finally managed to shake them off. With every trembling step he took, blood dripped from his wounds and his muscles screamed. Black spots danced across his vision.

 _I have to keep on moving,_ he repeated to himself like a mantra.

His willpower was strong, but his body was slowly failing. His legs shook and he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. His vision slowly faded to black.

 _Stay safe, Arbil._

* * *

Crimson fluttered his eyes open. He felt that all of his pain was gone. He looked down at his body and found that his wounds were completely healed. He jolted up from his supine position and frantically looked around him for the satchel. He sighed in relief when found it right beside him, sensing the magic from the orb.

He took a look at his surroundings. He was in a tree hollow sitting on a soft bed of moss and leaves. He gazed down and saw leaves containing food and water next to him. Off to his left side, he saw another bed made out moss small enough for a young child.

"Yay! You're finally awake!"

He turned his head to the entrance and saw a little angel girl about six years old smiling at him. Her white dress was tattered and dirty. Dirt and grime was smeared across her cherub face. Her short black hair was tangled, and he didn't see any halo on her head.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Hello," he croaked before clearing his throat. "Where am I? What happened?"

The angel girl's smile stretched. "You're in a forest far away from the city. I found you, brought you to my home, and healed your wounds."

She pushed the food and water to Crimson. "Here, eat. You've been unconscious for three days."

"Three days?" Crimson responded incredulously. "But I feel fine now."

"That's because I've been feeding you liquid medicine while you were out, but I wasn't able to feed you solid food," she explained as he ate.

The food wasn't great, but it was better than nothing. His stomach felt like it was curling into itself from lack of food. He felt awkward eating because the girl was staring at him so intensely, like he was the most interesting thing ever.

"So… why are you out here alone," he asked the little girl, trying to have a conversation.

"A few days ago, my parents went into the forest to collect herbs," she explained. "You see, they used to own an apothecary in the city."

Crimson remembered passing by that store a few times. "Doesn't that store also sell poisons?"

"Yes."

"And you're their daughter?"

"Yes."

He leaned away from the food and water, and shot the girl a suspicious look. He was tempted to gag the food he just consumed. He wiped his lips to get rid of any possible poison that touched it.

She put her hands up defensively. "Don't worry. I didn't poison you or anything. What would I gain for poisoning someone that was nearly dead?"

"I suppose you're right." He resumed eating. "Continue your story, please."

"I noticed that they didn't return the next day, so I went looking for them. I found their bodies ripped to pieces and a monster not too far from them dead as well. I guess they were attacked from behind unawares, and the monster died by eating the poison they held with them."

The entire time she was telling the story, she had a neutral expression on her face, as if this happened all the time. Crimson should've been surprised, but he wasn't. It was pretty common in this world for kids to become orphans since everybody died practically every day. Because of that, children were forced to grow up quickly and act like adults sooner without being a kid first. He hated it.

"And you've been living here since your parents passed away?" he inquired.

She nodded. "I've tried to see if anybody could take me in, but they rejected me. So, I had to live in the woods."

"And you've survived on your own for this long?"

Arbil had someone teach her how to survive on her own, with monster attacks constant outside of the city. But this little girl didn't have anyone. She should have been dead by now, so how was she still alive?

"Someone's been taking care of me," she replied happily.

"Oh really?"

"Mmmh-mmmh," she hummed. "I never saw him or her, but I always woke up to find fresh food and water for me. One day, I got curious and woke up early to see who was bringing me food. As the person walked away, I opened my eyes and saw that it was a demon woman by her gypsy outfit, red-veined bat wings, scythe-tipped tail, and twisted horns."

Crimson's body straightened still at the girl's description. His eyes widened and his breath hitched. He didn't recall the gypsy attire, but the wings, tail, and horns he remembered with clarity. _Could it be…?_

"Do you remember seeing anything else," he asked urgently.

She put a finger on her chin. "She was blocking it with her body, but I think I saw a crystal ball on a staff."

 _There's a possibility that it is Arbil's caretaker,_ Crimson thought. _She had a crystal ball but not on a staff. After all these years, she's still alive. But if that's the case, why did she abandon Arbil without any warning?_

"Has she come back here at all," he questioned the child.

She shook her head. "No. She hasn't returned since I brought you here. I have a feeling that she's not coming back any time soon."

He groaned, rubbing his face. _So, she remembers who I am and left so I wouldn't see her. Why would she avoid me? So many questions with no answers._

"Do you know her?"

"Yes," he answered softly. "I knew her a long time ago."

The little girl didn't ask any more questions.

He finished eating and drinking. He felt his strength slowly returning. The black-winged angel licked his lips as he reached for the satchel. "Well, thank you for healing me kid, but I must keep on moving."

He put the strap over his shoulder and crawled out of the hollow past the girl. As he walked away, the girl stared after him with a slightly anxious expression.

"Wait!" she called out. "Where are you going? Can't you stay a little longer?"

"Unfortunately, no." he responded as he continued his walking. "I'm on the run, and I don't want to drag anybody into it."

The little girl ran after him but stopped after a few steps. She struggled with her words, trying to find the right ones to make Crimson change his mind.

"At least take me with you. I don't want to be alone." Her voice turned somber. "That nice woman isn't coming back, and you're the only other nice person I've met. Please, let me come with you."

Crimson stopped mid-step at her plea. Her tone right now reminded him of Arbil when she was younger after her caretaker left; how helpless and sad and frightened she was. He did everything in his power to make her happy as possible.

Now, this angel girl was going through the same situation as his crush. He was tempted to say yes, to make sure another innocent being didn't grow up like Arbil did, but he couldn't. Not right now when he was a fugitive.

He clenched his hand tightly and grinded his teeth. _I hate leaving her like this, but I have to keep moving._

"I'm sorry," he replied softly without turning his head, "but I can't let you come with me. You'll only be in danger. I'm sure that woman will come back since I'm leaving."

He walked on, not looking back once. He ignored his conscious telling him to help the girl anyway, no matter the risks.

The girl uneasily shuffled her feet as she watched his figure walk further away from her. She stomped her foot like the child that she was and gripped the end of her dress.

 _Fine. If you won't take me, I'll just follow you._

She ran back to her temporary home, grabbed a makeshift bag, and shoved what little she possessed in it. She packed her medicinal herbs and poisons into one pouch, and carefully placed her poison mixture equipment into her bag. She placed pouches of food that the demon woman left for her last, then ran after the midnight-colored winged angel. The little girl silently followed after him a few feet behind, hiding behind trees and thick bushes.

Crimson heard steps behind him. He swiftly twisted his head, but whatever was behind him disappeared. He didn't sense that it was a threat, so he resumed walking. As he kept on going, he heard occasional rustling and footsteps. Every time he looked back, the figure would be gone but he caught glimpses of the person.

 _Don't tell me that girl has been following me this whole time._

He rolled his eyes upward. "I know it's you, kid," he yelled out. "Go back to your home. It's for your own good, trust me."

He didn't receive any response or hear any movements. He sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

 _This child is going to be on my back the entire time,_ he thought tiredly. _It's obviously too late for her to go back now. This is probably a bad idea, but I don't have any choice._

"Come out, kid. You can stick with me."

She peeked out from behind a tree, hope glittering in her sky blue irises. "Promise? I can stay with you for a long time?"

Crimson curtly nodded, his eyes definite with his decision. "Yes. Indefinitely if you so wish."

The little girl did a small jump of joy, and ran to his side, all giddy.

"But, behave yourself," Crimson warned. "Stay close to me at all times and do what I tell you to do."

The little angel eagerly nodded. "Okay, I promise."

"All right. Let's go."

She kept pace with his long strides by half-running and half-jogging. Seeing her struggle with his gait of walking, he took shorter steps in order for her to catch up.

"My name is Hikari, by the way," she introduced, divulging her name. "What's your name, mister?"

"Crimson," he responded. "And you can just call me that. No mister, no sir, none of those titles please."

Hikari nodded. "Okay, Crimson. So, what's your power? I have knowledge on different poisons, but my actual magic is light and healing."

"My magic is demonic fire, but it used to be light before I Darkened."

She grinned brightly. "Yay, we have something in common!" She glanced to his bag. "Do you mind if I ask you what's in your bag? I never looked inside, but I sense very strong magic from it."

He might as well tell her since she's involved in his affair. "It's a portal to another world, specifically the Gray Garden."

"A portal? Why are you carrying a portal to a world?"

"A friend of mine escaped to the Gray Garden world without the permission of our God. I had to take the orb so he wouldn't go after her. That's why I didn't want you to come along. When he sends people after us, they will kill you too, no matter if you are a child."

Hikari gave Crimson a determined look. "I don't care. If she's important to you, then she's important to me. I may be a little kid, but I have powerful magic, so I can handle myself."

Crimson gave her a skeptical look then looked away. "If you say so. We need to move faster. With me out of commission for a few days, they probably got closer. We have to gain much distance."

She ran after him. "Okay!"

"And keep quiet," he added, giving her a stern look.

She silently nodded her head and they continued their trek as rogue angels.

* * *

 **That's it for now. I decided to cut this chapter into two. It would've have taken too long for me to write over the break, so I cut it short. I don't know when my next update will be, but I will try my best to update as soon as I am able. Review please!**


	13. Will You Be My

**Hey everybody! I am finally done with exams, so I am free for the summer. I only have two summer classes, so I don't know how it will affect my writing time but I will try my best to update often. In case you didn't know, Hikari means light in Japanese. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

 **P.S The time that Crimson and Hikari travel together is the same amount of time that Arbil spends in the Gray Garden.**

 **Disclaimer: Mogeko/ Deep Sea Prisoner owns Gray Garden.**

* * *

For the past few weeks, Crimson and Hikari traveled together with the Gray Garden orb in tow. They didn't stay in one place for too long, always on the move. The group met powerful monsters on the way the farther they traveled, and Crimson dealt with them swiftly. He remembered Hikari saying that she possessed powerful magic, but she was still a little girl, so he handled the creatures before she could. She didn't seem to mind staying on the sidelines.

Over the course of their journey, Crimson noticed a change in Hikari's personality. She was still her enthusiastic self but more than before. For the first few days, she kept to herself but still talked to him. Now, she randomly held his hand, clung to his leg, climbed up his back, pretty much acting like a puppy or kitten climbing on her parent. Her smile was more carefree as well, when before it seemed a bit strained.

At first, the black-winged angel found it annoying how she was suddenly becoming clingy. But as time passed, as he got to know her better, he allowed her to continue her childish antics. He didn't have the heart to tell her to stop and act serious. In truth, it brought joy to his heart to see her act so carefree despite the situation they were currently in. Seeing her happy made him feel that a huge burden was lifted from his shoulders. At least she still listened to him in dangerous situations.

They've been fortunate on evading anybody that was searching for them. But their luck was about to run out.

One day, they decided to rest for a bit from a long day of walking. They were close to a mountain range, and were going to travel there once they've rested. While Crimson looked for food, Hikari wandered away collecting any herbs she could find. She made sure that she was within eyesight of Crimson at all times.

He walked a few feet away, sensing for any nearby monsters to kill and eat. His body grew rigid as he sensed something else than a monster. Or rather somebody, and they were strong.

He unsheathed his giant broadsword and took a battle stance in the direction he sensed the energy.

"Hikari, come back to my side! Now!" Crimson yelled loudly. He didn't care if his yell attracted the enemy. It was clear they already knew where they were.

Hikari, at his outburst, rushed to his side. She hid behind his leg, staring up at the sky slightly frightened.

The next few moments, a demon landed in front of them. He was just a generic demon that worked at the castle.

A cocky smirk formed on his lips. "Well, looks like it's my lucky day. I found the rogues and the orb." He reached out a hand. "If you give me what Revlis wants, I'll let you two go peacefully."

Crimson tightened his hold on his weapon. The corner of his lips quirked up. "Revlis only sent one demon after us? And an underling no less? Heh, I must have been doing a pretty good job wiping you all out."

The demon growled. "Do not insult me! You're at a disadvantage since you've been fighting in the wilderness for weeks. You are weak and exhausted."

The black-winged angel stood his ground, but he silently agreed with the demon. He's been the one fighting and providing for Hikari, mostly for her sake for the past few weeks. Though he got sufficient rest, he was always on alert and was never able to completely restore all of his magic.

Hikari tugged on Crimson's pants. "Crimson, let me fight him."

He glanced down at the angel child, still keeping his attention on the demon. "No, I won't allow it," he whispered to her. "You're only a child."

"But you know he's right," she whispered quietly back to him. "You won't be able to beat him with low magic energy." Hikari looked up at him with soft-lidded eyes. "You've been fighting this entire time protecting me. Please, let me return the favor."

His red orbs widened a bit at her soft expression. Hidden within it was fierce determination. She was really willing to fight on his behalf and she was just a little girl. He knew that she said she had strong magic, but he never truly believed her, her being a child. But he was slightly weak from fighting practically every second. He exhaled as he made up his mind.

He sheathed his sword and took a step back. He ignored a strong pang to his heart as Hikari stepped forward. "All right. Be careful."

The demon laughed when he saw Hikari stepping forward. "You're going to let your daughter fight for you? You must be really desperate."

Before Crimson could deny Hikari being his daughter, she spoke before him. "I can take you on," she said with her head held high, her tone firm.

Crimson felt a surge of pride go through him at the angel girl's demeanor. He's been protecting her for so long that he never gave her a chance to prove herself. Now he'll see what she's made of.

The demon smirked. "All right. Since you're a kid, I'll let you get the first move."

A ball of light appeared on her hand. "Big mistake."

From the ball of light, a long stream of it flowed out until she grabbed it, stopping its growth. She now held a glowing white ribbon in her hands. Crimson's eyes grew when he took a closer look at her ribbon. It was comprised of stars and stardust constantly swirling in motion.

 _Impressive,_ he thought proudly to himself. _Her light magic is associated with stars. No wonder she felt confident about her power._

She attacked with her star ribbon, using it like a whip. "Milky Way Ribbon!"

The demon didn't bother to dodge or block the incoming attack, believing he wouldn't get a single scratch. But he was wrong. As soon as the ribbon touched his skin, he screamed in pain and held his arm. He slowly removed his hand and a sweltering burn was marked on his skin.

He snarled at Hikari. "What kind of magic is that? How was a kid able to hurt me like this?"

"My light magic takes the form of stars," she elaborated, her star ribbon by her side. "Because of that, my power is equal to a star, so I'm able to do major damage." Hikari smirked. "Shouldn't have let me gone first."

The demon snarled as wisps of energy swirled around him. "You're going to regret that!"

Multiple knives appeared around him and shot forward at Hikari swiftly. "Knife Storm!"

Crimson instinctively took a step forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword to defend her, but he halted when he saw her move. She dodged the sharp weapons easily with her small body and deflected some with her ribbon.

When he produced more than she can evade or repel, she raised her arms and several four-pointed stars surrounded her.

"Shooting Stars!"

The stars raced forward leaving a trail of light behind them. The knives and stars collided, the stars completely obliterating them. Stardust filled the space between them.

The demon growled. "You're a real pain." Two scimitars materialized in his hands. "I don't care if you're a brat, I'm going to cut you into tiny pieces."

Hikari took out her Milky Way Ribbon. "Let's see you try."

Crimson watched their brawl in fascination, mostly focused on Hikari. She moved fluidly, dodging his scimitars with ease. She managed to damage him, marring his skin with third-degree burns while he wasn't able to land a single slash on her. He noticed that her footwork was similar to his when he evaded monster attacks.

He smiled proudly. _So all that time I was fighting, she was observing my movements and learned on her own. Her fighting style isn't perfect but she's holding her own against a strong demon. She's got great potential as a warrior._

The demon performed a mighty slash but missed Hikari. She jumped back a couple of steps and raised her arms in the air once again. Crimson leaned forward when he sensed powerful energy emanating from her. The demon sensed it too and took a wary step back.

 _Her power right now is similar to a god,_ Crimson thought. _How is that possible? She's not a Darkened angel._

Medium-sized balls of rock covered in fire appeared around her. They all blazed with an intensity of a yellow sun. Being used to heat, Crimson was unaffected and watched in awe at Hikari's magic.

The demon lifted his arm to shield his eyes from the bright illuminance. "What is this bright light?" he yelled out.

Hikari threw her arms down, the stars following her motion. "Comet Shower!"

The stars crashed down on the demon, kicking up immense amounts of dust and chunks of earth. Crimson turned around and closed his eyes to prevent the dirt from blinding him. When the dust settled, he opened them and his jaw unhinged at the scene before him. Craters depressed the ground, the demon unmoving in one of them. Nearby trees, burnt from the heat, crashed to the ground. The air held a slight smell of burning flesh.

Hikari panted from nearly using up all her magic. She turned to Crimson with a tired smile. He grinned back.

"Great job, Hikari," he praised. "Come on, let's get moving before he comes to."

At his approval, the angel child straightened her back with pride and walked back to him. The Darkened angel twisted his body to leave, but stopped short when he sensed malicious dark energy from the demon he thought was knocked out.

The demon, all battered and covered in burns, shakily raised his head and glared at the back of Hikari's head. "I… am not… going to lose… to a brat like you!"

Using the last of his magic, he summoned swords underneath Hikari. Just as they peaked up under her, she jumped out of the way but not fast enough. The blades sliced at her legs and feet. She screamed and fell to the ground with a thud. Tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to suppress the stinging pain.

Crimson watched in horror when he saw blood run down her legs and staining her pale skin. A flashback of Arbil lying in a pool of blood flashed before his eyes. At that moment, something inside of him snapped.

The demon lifted his hand and spears formed above Hikari with a quick flick of his wrist. They rained down on her at an incredible rate. She tried to scramble to get out of range but was too weak from her new injuries and using too much magic. She curled up and whimpered as she waited for the spears to impale her.

But they never came. Hikari warily opened her eyes and found Crimson standing above her with his sword out. The spears laid scattered around them. Hikari looked up when she felt intense heat radiate him. She wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly burst into flames.

Crimson glared menacingly at the battered demon. His red irises blazed like the fire he commanded. He growled like a feral beast as he stalked to him. The demon tried to materialize more blades, but the Darkened angel beat him to it. He brought down his sword, black and red fire cutting through the ground and striking the demon.

"Demonic Fire Slash!"

A single word didn't escape the demon's mouth as he was struck for the final time. He was now unconscious, steam rising from his almost charred body. Crimson stalked to him and raised his sword to impale the demon through his heart. Just when he was about to kill him, he stopped when he heard Hikari whimper in pain. He turned his head to her and saw her trying to heal herself with what little magic she had left.

The rage that consumed him dissipated when he saw Hikari's condition. He growled to himself when he realized that he nearly lost himself to his demonic side. He had to get the angel girl out of here and heal her properly before she got an infection.

He snarled at the unconscious demon. "You're lucky that I'm letting you live. Don't come looking for us."

He sheathed his weapon and returned to Hikari's side. He kneeled down and inspected her injuries. She was able to stop the bleeding but the cuts started swelling red. Crimson narrowed his eyes, blaming himself for letting another friend get hurt because he wasn't fast enough.

He gently scooped Hikari into his arms and cradled her to his chest. She snuggled into his warmth that was now back to a comfortable level.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

She nodded. "More or less, yes. The cuts still sting."

"Let's find a place where I can properly treat your wounds," the black-winged angel said.

Hikari nodded. "Okay," she replied as she closed her eyes, falling into a light doze.

Crimson held her tight as he took off and flew to the mountain range. He flew along the edge until he found a cave for them to recuperate in. He landed lightly, careful not to jostle his sleeping package, and set Hikari down on the softest part of the ground he could find. He left her side momentarily to find some leaves or moss to make a bed for her, but it was difficult. The farther they moved away from the city, the more barren the landscape became. And that was saying something, considering their entire world was barren-looking.

He returned with a few big leaves and a handful of moss. He quickly made a bed for Hikari and laid her on it, facing up. He broke the moss into two pieces and dipped one of them into a water spring in the cave and cleaned her wounds. The black-winged angel dipped the other half in water and placed it across Hikari's forehead to cool her fever.

Crimson nodded to himself when he could see her cuts clearly, and rinsed the moss of blood to use later. Not having medicinal herbs of his own, he rummaged through the angel's backpack and took out her medicinal pouch. He scrunched his eyebrows in puzzlement when he recognized a couple, but most of the herbs were unfamiliar to him.

 _I've never seen these herbs before. They must grow outside of the city._

He sighed under his breath when he figured that he must ask Hikari which herbs to use. He didn't want to give her random medicine and make her condition worse.

Crimson gently shook her shoulder. "Hikari, wake up for a second," he softly whispered.

She groaned lightly and gazed up at him with half-lidded eyes. "Yes?" she croaked.

"These herbs I don't recognize at all. Do you know which ones will reduce your swelling?"

She shakily raised her hand and pointed to a plant with spiny dark gray seeds. "That's stinging nettle. You can use the leaves for the swelling. Some comfrey will be good too, to soothe the pain," she added, referring to a plant with large leaves and small bell-shaped flowers.

"What about feverfew? Your temperature is a bit high."

She shook her head, careful not to drop the moss on her forehead. "I don't feel that hot. I'll be fine without it."

Crimson collected the comfrey and nettle. "If you say so."

The Darkened angel pulled out Hikari's poultice-making equipment and got to work. He first mashed the leaves of the nettle into a paste using water. His nose twitched at the bitter scent but continued making the poultice. He applied the paste to her wounds, saying soothing words to her whenever she hissed in pain. He made the comfrey poultice next and applied it over the nettle. He covered her wounds with a wad of cobwebs he managed to find in Hikari's pack to prevent infection.

Crimson sighed in relief as he washed the mortar and pestle. He gazed over his shoulder to see Hikari sleeping peacefully now. If she's allowed rest, she'll be healed in no time.

He put her stuff back into her backpack and sat down next to her head, legs stretched out. He laid his head back against the rock wall and closed his eyes, preparing to get much needed rest. The black-winged angel looked down when he felt something on his legs. Hikari scooted closer and rested her head on his legs, using them as a pillow.

"I'm sorry for losing, Crimson," she apologized with a yawn. "It's my fault I'm like this and putting you through so much trouble."

Crimson gave her a tender smile as she stroked her hair. "No, you were wonderful. You fought beautifully for a little girl, and you managed to defeat him on your own." He chuckled at the previous thought of him thinking she was a helpless girl. Boy, was he wrong. "I should have let you fight sooner. I'm very proud of you, Hikari."

A rosy blush blossomed on her cheeks at Crimson's praise. She snuggled deeper into his legs to hide her blush.

At her cuteness, Crimson's smile stretched. "You know, you remind me of my friend, Arbil, right now."

Hikari looked up at him. "I do?"

He nodded. His eyes softened at the thought of his secret crush. "Yes. Arbil would always blame herself for things not in her control, like her injuries. She's also very strong even if she doesn't know it. Not so much physically, but mentally with all the abuse she has to struggle with."

"Oh," she replied.

It was quiet between them until the angel girl gave out another yawn.

Crimson continued stroking her hair. "Go to sleep, Hikari. You need rest."

"Okay."

She let her head remain on his legs and closed her eyes.

"Can I ask one more question?"

"Of course," he responded.

Her voice started growing quiet as she fell deeper into sleep, but Crimson heard her voice loud and clear.

"Will you be my daddy?"

His eyes widened at her inquiry. He opened his mouth to ask why would she ask a question like that, but she was already asleep. He clamped his mouth shut and mulled over her innocent question. Crimson didn't know what to feel at the moment. Never once did he think about having a family, since Arbil didn't like him the same way he did for her.

She probably asked him to be her father because she recently lost hers, and they spent a lot of time together. She just wants a father figure again. It's merely a nickname for him, surely? But Crimson highly doubted that it's something petty as that. Hikari really wants him to be her father.

Crimson exhaled loudly, rubbing his face. In all truthfulness, over time he thought of her as his own daughter. He didn't know when it started, it just happened. After seeing her get hurt and nearly killed, he felt extremely protective of her just like with Arbil. That was the moment he realized he loved Hikari as a daughter. He grinned to himself as he accepted this newfound revelation.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He rested his head back and closed his eyes, falling into slumber as well.

"Of course I'll be your daddy."

* * *

Crimson's orbs shot open swiftly. He bolted upright so fast that Hikari's head fell off his legs. She grunted, rubbing her head. She looked up at Crimson who had his hand on his sword and his body in a tense crouched position. His other hand gripped the strap of the satchel so tightly that his knuckles turned whiter than his bone-white skin.

She rubbed her drowsy eyes with the heels of her hands. "What's wrong, Crimson?"

"Sorry Hikari about dropping you, but we need to move now," he said while his eyes were focused outside of the cave opening.

His serious expression shifted into a gentle smile when he twisted his head to her. "And, you can call me daddy from now on."

Hikari brightly smiled, her sky blue orbs shining like a sun. "Okay, daddy. What's wrong," she repeated. "Why are you frightened?"

Of course she could sense his fear. He wasn't shaking but adrenaline pulsed through his veins with the help of his rapidly beating heart. He grabbed Hikari's backpack and put it on her.

"There's a couple of very powerful Darkened angels coming this way and we need to get far away from them," he explained as he quickly unwrapped her cobwebs and checked her injuries. Her swelling went significantly down, but he wasn't entirely sure if she could walk yet. They only slept for a couple of hours at most.

"Will you be able to stand and walk?" he asked her.

Hikari nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"All right. Let's go."

He scooped her into his arms and flew out of the cave, away from the people chasing them. Crimson flew just above the tree line, to duck into the forest for cover if need be. Hikari looked over his shoulder, keeping an eye out for their current pursuers.

"So, why are we running away this time, daddy? Why don't we stay and fight them like we did with the demon?"

"Because these people are nothing like that demon," he answered, gripping the angel child tighter. "He doesn't even hold a candle to them. These people that are chasing us now are part of an elite personal guard of Revlis called the Dark Brigade. They are the most powerful Darkened angels in the world. Even I'm not strong enough to beat one of them."

He flapped his wings harder to fly faster. "If we're caught by them, we're done for."

Seeing her new father's eyes flicker with apprehension, Hikari placed a placating hand on his cheek. "Don't worry, daddy. We've made it this far, I'm sure we'll make it this time."

Crimson couldn't help but smile at his daughter's optimism. With them fighting together, they could have a chance beating them.

He smiled back in gratitude. "Thank you, Hikari. I'm certain we'll win."

As soon as he finished that sentence, he sensed magic being hurled at him. He tucked her head against his chest and veered left, barely dodging a shower of sharp objects. Hikari peeked out and saw black shards of something sticking out from the ground.

"What are those?"

"Shards of black ice," he replied.

The angel child cocked her head to the side. "Ice?"

"I'll explain later. They're here!"

Another barrage of black ice came at them. Crimson ducked into the forest to receive more cover. He expertly weaved through the trees while evading the black ice. He thought he could dodge all of them, but one of them managed to pierce through one of his wings. He shouted out in pain and crashed to the ground. He protectively covered Hikari in his arms as he tumbled across the floor. He stopped when he bumped against a tree trunk, still holding his daughter tightly.

She squirmed out of his hold and kneeled beside him, giving him a worried expression. "Daddy, are you okay?"

He struggled getting on his knees, his arms shaking with strain. He resisted the urge to fold in his injured winged appendage with the ice sticking out. "I'm fine. You need to leave."

He grabbed the ice spear, took a deep breath, and pulled it out like ripping off a bandage. He bit his lip to muffle his scream and covered the wound with his hand to slow the bleeding. It didn't do much as the blood flowed over his hand.

Hikari shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "No, I won't! We need to fight them as a team. Let me heal you."

"No time," Crimson panted. "They've already caught up to us."

As if on cue, two Darkened angels landed in front of them, a male and a female.

Crimson glared up at them. "Frost. Nova."

Frost smirked smugly at Crimson while Nova had a stoic visage. The ice Darkened angel wore a black tank top that displayed his six-pack. Black dress pants covered his tall legs and sandals covered his feet. His gray bangs shadowed his cold, steel blue orbs. Even if Crimson couldn't see Frost's eyes clearly, he could tell they had a maniacal gleam to them.

Crimson turned his gaze to Nova who was staring back at him with her charcoal black emotionless eyes. She wore a silk black kimono decorated with white birds and a big white obi tied around her waist. Silver gray geta adorned her feet. A black star barrette was clipped to her long silver hair.

Hikari gasped upon seeing Nova. "She's a little girl. She's the same age as me! Nova's a member of the Dark Brigade?"

"Yes," Crimson replied, "but she's a Darkened angel, so don't underestimate her."

He stood up, still holding his wing. "Why are you two here? Revlis wouldn't waste his precious henchmen on something petty as chasing two rogues, would he?"

Frost shrugged. "Well, not at first, but after not seeing his subjects returning with the portal or you two, he finally decided to send us out since the others are so incompetent."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we are not going back without a fight."

Frost snickered, sharp canines poking out from his lips. "I don't think you'll be much of a challenge with that new wound I gave you."

Crimson growled in response.

The air around Frost turned colder and misty. Snowflakes crystallized around him. "Let's get rid of them, Nova."

She held out her arm in front of him before he could unleash his attack. "Wait Frost," she spoke softly. "Let me talk to him first."

He sucked his teeth but did as he was told. The ice disappeared and he placed his hands on his hips. "Fine."

Nova took a step forward. "Crimson, all we want is the Gray Garden orb. Nothing more."

"Heh, I don't believe you," he responded. "After all the trouble I caused, there's no way he'll want to keep me alive if you just take the portal."

"That is true, but I can reason with him. If you return without a fight, he might let you live and join our team. You're too valuable to kill since you have powerful magic like us. And I'm sure he'll let your daughter join as well. We saw the craters earlier and we know that wasn't your doing. The both of you can be very powerful assets to Revlis. What do you say?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Crimson declined. "I don't want to mindlessly follow Revlis' orders like a dog ever again."

Nova's eyes twitched the slightest. "Is that your final answer?"

Crimson took a battle stance. "Yes."

She sighed. "Oh well, I tried." She moved beside her comrade. "Go ahead, Frost."

He took out his cutlass sword with a crazy grin. "Finally!"

He dashed to Crimson, his blade covered in black ice. The red-eyed Darkened angel quickly took out his broadsword and blocked the attack, his own blade encased in black and red fire. It didn't melt the ice immediately like he wanted it to, but it was effective on cracking it.

As Crimson and Frost fought against each other, Hikari took it upon herself to fight Nova.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Hikari stated.

"So it is," she said softly, not showing any expression at all. "Are you sure you want to fight me?"

The light angel raised her arms. "My daddy is fighting, so I must too. There's no way we're letting you take the orb. Shooting Stars!"

Hikari almost missed it, but she saw Nova reach for a Chinese fan embellished with white sakura petals from her long kimono sleeve. She waved it in front of her in a graceful motion.

"Black Hole."

A circular black hole appeared out of nowhere and swallowed Hikari's stars into oblivion. It disappeared before it could suck her in too.

The light angel gasped in astonishment. "What was that kind of magic?"

"My negative space magic is a type of dark magic," Nova explained. "It's the opposite of light magic, so it has no effect on me."

Hikari huffed. "We'll see about that. Milky Way Ribbon!"

She lashed out at Nova with her ribbon, but the dark girl parried it with her fan without moving an inch.

 _So, this is what that demon must have felt fighting against me,_ Hikari thought, momentarily pausing her assault. _It's very frustrating not being able to land a hit. Maybe I can blind her then hit her._

Hikari put a finger on her forehead, her irises flashing white for a second. "Sun Glare!"

Blinding white light lit up the area around the two girls. Hikari was the only one who could see clearly so she rushed at Nova. Before she could call out another attack, Nova acted first.

"Dark Matter."

The darkness stretched from Nova's body and covered the light, replacing everything in inky blackness. Hikari stopped when she couldn't see the Darkened angel. The light angel frantically looked around but it was too dark to see. Even sound was silenced.

"Where am I," she said, her tone scared. "Where did everybody go?"

Being a light angel, she wasn't comfortable in the dark. With all her senses nullified, she didn't sense Nova sneaking up behind her. With a strong gust of wind from her fan, Nova blew Hikari away and into a tree trunk, breaking it in half.

Hikari gasped in pain when she fell to the ground. A couple of her wounds reopened, blood leaking out.

"Hikari!" Crimson yelled out in worry.

Frost, taking advantage of Crimson's diverted attention, knocked the fire Darkened angel's sword out his hands and snatched the satchel. "Keep your attention on your opponent, dude!"

The ice Darkened angel flew back to Nova's side. "Finish them off, Nova!"

The girl lifted her fan, a small sphere of black energy growing bigger above her. "Sorry about this."

Nova aimed her attack at Hikari who was still lying on the ground. Crimson threw himself on her and covered her with his body. He also folded his wings around her for extra protection.

"Nova Blast."

A ray of dark energy shot at them. Crimson materialized a dome of fire around him just as it hit them.

"That's the end of them," Frost chuckled, tossing the orb playfully in the air. "Those two never stood a chance. Amazing work as always, Nova. For a kid, you pack a mean punch."

"Thanks for the compliment," she replied monotonously. "Now, stop playing with the orb. We have to return it to Revlis as soon as possible. He's running really low on patience."

Frost grimaced at the thought of confronting an irate Revlis. He stuffed the orb into the bag. "Yeah, you're right. I really hope this will be enough to cool his temper."

"Was that supposed to be a joke," she asked her partner as they flew away.

"Yeah, but I know you're not going to crack a smile."

A quiet lull settled in the area. Crimson let down his shield once he was certain that their pursuers were gone. His body sagged in relief and he relaxed his arms, letting Hikari go. The black-winged angel groaned as the adrenaline left his system, pinpricks of pain and aches racking through his body.

 _That battle against Frost really took it out of me. It didn't help that I was getting dizzy and lightheaded from the blood loss._

Hikari fussed over him. "Daddy, are you okay?"

Crimson wheezed. "Not this time, no."

Small tears streaked down her face. "I'm sorry again. I distracted you and they took the Gray Garden orb. They also nearly killed you because you protected me." She sniffled. "I'm so sorry."

Crimson tiredly grinned at her and wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Don't cry, my little star. It's my job as a father to protect you. I would gladly sacrifice myself to make sure you're okay."

Hikari smiled at her new nickname and wiped away the rest of her tears. "But what about your friend? Now she's in danger."

"Well, we better get it back then before she actually is. Can you please heal me with your magic, if you have enough energy that is?"

"I do, but I won't be able to fully heal you."

"That's fine. Just heal my wing and your legs."

"Okay."

She placed her hand over the hole in his wing, and it glowed soft yellow with sparkles.

"Healing Palm."

Crimson moaned softly as he felt the healing warmth ebb the pain away and create new skin, muscle, and feathers.

"All done."

He sat up and stretched his wing, testing it. He grinned when he found no problems.

"It feels good as new. Nice job, little star."

Hikari smiled back and proceeded with healing her own wounds. They stood on their feet once she was finished.

"All right, let's move." Crimson said, tone steeled with determination. "They're heading back to the castle, so we need to catch up to them and steal it back if possible. But I have a Plan B if this doesn't work."

Hikari firmly nodded her head. "Right!" She climbed up on his back. "Let's go!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

Crimson quickly ran to his sword, picked it up, and flew after Frost and Nova at top speed.

* * *

He flew for days without much rest, following the two Dark Brigade members. He made sure that he was at a considerable distance away from them, so they wouldn't sense his presence. Thankfully, they stopped a few times to recuperate and Hikari and Crimson took that time to relax and heal. Crimson barely got any sleep as he had to stay awake and keep watch on Frost and Nova's movements.

He grimaced when he saw the city and castle in the distance. _Back here again. I didn't think I would ever return._

Crimson flew to the ground and landed. Hikari got off his back and looked up at him in confusion. They landed in the woods outside of the city borders.

"How come we're here, daddy?" Hikari asked. "Shouldn't we have flown directly to the castle?"

"No, we would have been captured or killed. I'm not sure if the guard rotations changed since my betrayal, so we mustn't be reckless."

He sighed. "I was hoping we would've retrieve the orb by now, but I wasn't able to find any openings in Nova or Frost. We'll have to move to my second plan."

Crimson looked down at Hikari. "I saw that you have poppy seeds in your medicinal pouch. Do you think you can crush them into a fine powder?"

"Sure," she answered while taking out small, black seeds, "but what do you need them for?"

"I need to get inside the castle and see if the rotations changed or not," he elaborated as he watched her pound the seeds into powder and placing it into a white cloth. "If they did, I can knock out anybody that I meet while infiltrating the structure. If not, it will be good to keep on hand."

She tied the cloth and handed it to Crimson. "Are you going to steal back the orb now?"

The Darkened angel shook his head. "No, just going to scope out the castle and see any weaknesses in their defenses. While I'm gone, you stay here hidden. The ghostly orbs are out, so everybody should be sleeping by now, but there might be a few stragglers. Stay quiet and hidden until I return."

Hikari dipped her chin. She wanted to go with her father, but knew that she would only be a hindrance to him in this mission.

"Okay, be safe."

Crimson leaned down and gave her a peck on her forehead. "I will. Back in a few minutes."

He dove into the city, ducking behind corners and jumping on rooftops like a silent assassin. Hikari watched him go then hid behind a bush, patiently waiting for his return.

He paused at a house and gazed up at the floating castle. _So far, so good. Now, let's get inside._

He flapped his great wings and flew up to the hallway where the portal room was. He didn't bother checking to see if anybody was guarding the courtyard. It was "nighttime" so everybody was gone. He flew up to the window and peeked through the glass. He groaned under his breath at the sight before him. There were a couple of guards patrolling the corridor with serious expressions.

 _It looks like this is the only area that has a guard rotation. Reasonable since I stole the orb and Revlis doesn't want to take the chance of it being taken again._

He quietly opened the window when the guards' backs were turned and jumped inside stealthy. He sneaked up behind one of them and locked his arms around the guard's neck. Before he could utter a sound, Crimson covered his mouth and nose with the poppy seed cloth. He went limp in his arms and Crimson set him down on the floor.

When the second guard turned around, Crimson dashed to him in a blink of an eye and knocked him out by hitting the back of his head. The red-eyed Darkened angel caught him before he fell to the ground. He shoved both guards into a random room and proceeded forward.

He knocked out a few more guards before he found the room filled with portals. The door was closed, so Crimson quietlyplaced his ear against it, straining to hear every sound, breath, and word that would tell him what he needed to know for his next plan of action.

Crimson picked up on Frost's cocky voice. "Here you are, Your Holiness. The Gray Garden orb you desired."

He stiffened when he heard Revlis' voice. "Thank you, Frost and Nova. I knew I could count on you two to get the job done, unlike my other servants."

"Ah, it wasn't too hard. Those two were child's play. Literally, in Nova's case."

"Very funny."

"Nonetheless, excellent job. Now, let's get down to business."

Crimson felt the energy in the room spike as Revlis expanded the orb into a doorway.

"Are one of us going there," Frost asked excitedly. "Let me go, Your Holiness!"

Revlis chuckled. "I know that you're eager, Frost, but not this time. I don't want to reveal my trump cards at all if possible. We'll send someone else."

Frost huffed. Crimson could just imagine him pouting his lips. "I never get to have any real fun around here."

Crimson heard an unfamiliar voice talking to Revlis. He couldn't tell if it was a demon or a Darkened angel.

"So, what do you want me to do exactly?" a masculine tone curiously asked the God.

"I need you to go and retrieve the halfling from this world," Revlis ordered, pointing at the light doorway. "Do it quietly and make sure not to be seen. If necessary, kill anyone that gets in your way."

Crimson gritted his teeth. His body told him to rush into the room and attack everybody in sight to prevent Arbil from coming back, but he forced himself to stay put. If they see him, he'll be instantly killed. Even if he managed to get through the portal, he would be leaving Hikari behind and all alone.

He tuned back to the conversation. "Take this." Crimson heard a cling fall against skin. "This bracelet will take you back here once you have the halfling."

"Roger."

A flash of white filled the room as the unknown person stepped through the portal. Crimson felt the magic energy lower when Revlis tapped the doorway back into a sphere.

As much as he wanted to barge in and go to the Garden himself, he was in no condition to fight Frost and Nova. And he'd rather not fight Revlis again.

He got up from his crouched position and ran back to the window he came in from. He flew in the air this time back to where he left Hikari.

"Little star?" he called out quietly.

The angel girl jumped out of a bush and glomped Crimson's leg. "You're back," she happily stated. She gazed up at him. "Were you able to get the orb back?"

Crimson affectionately patted her head. "No. Frost, Nova, and Revlis were in the room where the world portals were. I wouldn't have been able to take them all on at once. And, Revlis sent someone to return Arbil back to our world."

"Oh no. Will she be okay?"

At first, he was distressed like Hikari is right now, but he got a strange feeling that told him that everything will be okay.

He shot her a reassuring grin. "Don't worry. I have a feeling that she'll be fine. For now, we'll wait for another opportunity to get the orb, and maybe go to the Gray Garden ourselves."

At the prospect of going to another world, Hikari smiled back brightly. "Okay!"

* * *

 **And that's it for now! I think this is the longest chapter I have ever written for any fanfiction. This chapter is twenty-six pages long on Word and over 7,000 words! So, you guys have a long chapter to read while you wait for the next update. I promise the next chapter is shorter. The relationship between Crimson and Hikari is pretty cute, if you ask me. I hope you guys like it too.**

 **In addition, I hope you guys like my OCs. I thought of their characters on the spot and stuck with them. Frost is named Frost because he uses ice, obviously. Nova took some time to name. I wanted to choose a name that matched her magic, and this was the most appropriate. It means newness, but as a star, it increases its brightness then fades.**

 **Geta are those Japanese shoes that are a mixture of clods and flip-flops.**

 **Review please!**


	14. Intruder Alert

**Hey everybody! I hope that you all are having a wonderful summer so far. I have come to the point in this story where some plots aren't quite concrete. I have a general idea where I want the rest of the story to go, but I haven't written anything down yet. I have an outline for the next chapter, but from then on everything is not set in stone. It may delay the story a bit, but I will do my best. On top of that, I am still searching for jobs. It's so difficult.**

 **Well, enough about me. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gray Garden.**

* * *

 _Back in the Gray Garden…_

Arbil hummed a song to herself as she collected colorful flowers in the flower garden for Yosafire's home. She noticed that a few flowers were starting to wilt, so she took it upon herself to surprise the fire demon and replace them with fresh ones. The world was pleasant as usual. The sun shone brightly down on the land, the animals playfully frolicked through the grass, and the villagers calmly went about their day.

Recently, Arbil wished that the weather could change sometimes. She read about rain and snow and wanted to experience them, but she was okay with the constant warm weather. It was a lot better than her former world's weather.

Arbil plucked one last flower, a bright pink one, and placed it in a flower basket that she brought with her. She grasped the handle and stood up on her feet, ready to walk back to the village when she sensed magic accumulating behind her. She twisted her head back and saw a portal open.

She turned her whole body to the forming portal. _A portal? Opening here?_

Her spirits lifted when she thought it could be Crimson coming to the Gray Garden. A smile stretched on her lips as she saw a figure with black wings step out. She took a step forward and opened her mouth to greet him, but her grin quickly shifted to a frown when she got a closer look at the person.

The first thing she noticed was that the figure was male by his shirtless physique. His build was bulkier than Crimson's, and his black hair was cut shorter than his. He hadn't noticed Arbil yet, so she clamped her jaw shut to see what the mysterious intruder would do.

The Darkened angel, as soon as he stepped out and the portal disappeared, hissed harshly and lifted his wing to shield the brightness of the sun.

"How do these people live with this insane blazing heat," he commented with squinted eyes.

His eyes quickly adjusted to the light and he lowered his winged appendage to find Arbil in front of him. She jerked back when his eyes laid on her.

The Darkened angel smirked when his orbs zoned in on her mismatched wings. "So you must be the halfling Revlis wants me to retrieve."

A drop of sweat ran down Arbil's neck at the mention of her God's name. Her heart instantly sped up at the prospect of going back to her world, but she didn't dare show any fear to the unknown intruder. Her mind caught on to what the male said, about Revlis wanting her back and how the intruder got here in the first place.

She gasped under her breath. _That means that Crimson failed on protecting the orb. I hope he's all right._

Swallowing her fear, she put on a brave face and confronted the Darkened angel. "Why are you here," she stated confidently. "You don't belong in this world."

The stranger scoffed. "Neither do you, halfling. And weren't you paying attention? I was ordered to take you back to our world by our God."

Arbil growled. "You might as well return then, because I'm never going back there. This world is my home now. Now, leave."

"Sorry, but I must complete my mission or Revlis will have my head." He took a step to her. "And if you don't want to come willingly, I'll just take you by force."

He dashed to her and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She yelped and dropped her flower basket.

Arbil fervently squirmed in his hold. "Hey! Put me down right now!"

He ignored her plea as he reached for the bracelet on his wrist. "Stop fidgeting! It will be over soon."

The hybrid started completely spazzing out to prevent him from doing anything else. She struggled harder, pounding on his back and pulling his wings.

"Hey! I said quit it!"

He tried adjusting her to restrain her better, and Arbil used that opportunity to blindly lash out at him. She flailed her arms and her claws struck at his right eye, slashing at it. He screamed in agony, dropping Arbil on the ground with a thud.

He covered his eye with both hands, curling inward in himself. Arbil scrambled away from him, fear evident in her face.

The Darkened angel whirled his head to her. She gasped at his frightening visage. He had a snarl on his lips and bloody claw marks ran down his injured eye. "You're so dead!"

Arbil squeaked and frantically flapped her wings to get airborne and away from him, completely forgetting her gift for Yosafire. The black-winged angel flew after her, yelling obscenities at her. Some nearby diamonds activated and attacked the intruder, but he smashed them into dust and pebbles with no problems.

 _It looks like Etihw's diamonds were no help,_ Arbil thought exasperatedly. She scrambled for her cell phone that Etihw recently gave her. She dialed her number, but before she could press the call button, Arbil was struck on the hand. The phone fell out and crashed to the ground, breaking into pieces.

 _Ah man. She just gave that to me._ Arbil looked over her shoulder and gasped. The Darkened angel's nails extended to long menacing knives. She was surprised that he didn't stab her along with her phone.

He retracted his nails to normal size. "You're not calling anyone, halfling!"

Arbil tsked and flew farther from him. _I can't beat this guy on my own. I need help from someone. I can't ask the villagers or my friends, they're not strong enough to beat him. I'll have to go to BlancBlack Castle and get Etihw and Kcalb's assistance._

Having a set plan, she veered to the direction of the castle, careful not to let the Darkened angel see Gray Village. Unexpectedly, the intruder assaulted her, diving towards her and cutting her cheek, leaving a bloody mark similar to what she afflicted on him.

Arbil hissed in pain, caressing her cheek. She growled at the intruder who sent her a smug smirk at her injury.

"Fine," she angrily said. "You want to fight? Bring it on!"

 _I won't be able to defeat him, but I'll try weakening him._

She darted at him with her own claws and he dove out of the way. She quickly changed direction and slashed at his ankle, missing his Achilles tendon. He shouted in pain then extended his claws to impale Arbil, but she swiftly dodged them.

The memory of Revlis' shadows impaling her resurfaced in her mind. _There's no way I'm letting that happen to me again._

The cat and mouse game continued between the Desolate Wasteland natives. While they were in their intense brawl, Arbil subtlety led him to the castle grounds so either Eti or Kcalb could see the invader and capture him.

* * *

Etihw calmly sipped her tea along with Kcalb. A plate of chocolate chip cookies rested between them. Wodahs stood off to the side with a warm teapot in his hand, and Grora just finished giving her report on the surrounding areas.

"Thank you Grora," Etihw said. "It seems that no intruders will be coming anytime soon."

Kcalb hummed. "It would be a great relief if nobody else heard about our world."

Eti grinned behind her teacup but it fell when she saw something fly by the window. She put her cup down and turned her head to the window just in time to see Arbil and a stranger she's never seen before dash by. It was quick but Eti saw a couple of wounds on Arbil. She stood up fast, toppling over her cup and alerting everybody in the room.

Kcalb looked up at his friend, his normally stoic orbs containing uneasiness. "Eti, what's wrong?"

"I saw Arbil being chased by an otherworldly," she answered tensely.

"Are you serious?" Grora said exasperated. "And after all the work I did today."

"It seems I spoke too soon about intruders." The God's voice was calm but there was an undertone of protectiveness and anger in it, emotions beneficial in protecting her people and world.

She turned her head to Grora and Wodahs. They immediately stood at attention when they saw their God's intense expression. Her black eyes held anger and a dark shadow loomed over them. Grora and Wodahs recognized this expression as her war face.

"Wodahs, Grora, we are going to save Arbil and confront this invader," Etihw commanded.

The veteran war angels curtly nodded. They not only willingly followed their God's order because they had to, but they also considered Arbil a close friend. A little sister even.

The God turned to her Devil. "Kcalb, we aren't sure if this unknown person is after your power like last time, so stay inside please."

Kcalb didn't argue with her there. He did not want a repeat of Ivlis. "Of course."

Etihw twisted back to her angels, Grora and Wodahs ready for her next order. "I sense them in the courtyard. Let's go."

They teleported out the Great Hall simultaneously, leaving the Devil behind in the now quiet room. He groaned while munching on a cookie, silently wishing safety for his friends.

* * *

After Arbil sliced his arm, the Darkened angel roughly grabbed her long hair. She yelped in distress, scratching at his hand wildly. He spun her around once then hurled her to the ground with enough force to cause a crater to form beneath her. The surrounding angels and demons scurried away in fright, screaming back to the village for safety.

Arbil groaned and shakily lifted herself using her elbows. The intruder dived down and landed on top of Arbil. Before she could get up, he clenched his hands tightly around Arbil's throat and straddled her. His claws dug into her skin. The hybrid gasped sharply, her airway suddenly cut off. She clawed at his hands desperately, trying to get air in her lungs again. She squirmed under him, attempting to buck him off but he wouldn't budge.

"I wish I could kill you," he growled at Arbil, not loosening his grip on her neck. "But Revlis wants you alive for whatever reason." A devilish smirk formed on his lips. "But he didn't say that I couldn't rough you up a bit."

He lifted her head up by the neck and slammed her head down, more cracks forming. Arbil grunted loudly as she heard her skull crack and her brain rattle. She groaned when she felt something warm and smelled something metallic flow out of her head. Her eyes peered to the corner and she saw bright red liquid pool around her head.

The hybrid moaned mentally. _Oh no, that's not good. I'm losing blood fast._

She turned her attention back to the guy when he released one of his hands around her throat. She coughed and sucked in air, gasping like a fish out of water. Her temporary relief was quickly replaced by fear when the intruder's claws extended inches away from her eye.

His lips stretched menacingly. "Now, I'm going to do the same thing to you what you did to me, but more painfully and slowly."

Arbil frantically moved her head side to side to avoid her eye being pierced, but his grip kept her in place. The intruder's sadistic grin grew as he watched his victim squirm in a frenzy panic. She shut her eyelids tightly as the point of his nail came closer to her face. She awaited the excruciating pain until she heard something whizz by above her head. She opened her eyes when she recognized the sound, an arrow being fired.

"Don't make another move or the next arrow will not miss its mark."

Arbil internally sighed in relief. She gazed up and saw Grora with her bow and arrows out, an arrow already notched back and aimed at the invader's head. She stood on Etihw's left side and Wodahs was to Etihw's right.

 _They saw my fighting and came to my rescue. Thank goodness._

The intruder whirled his head to the God and her top angels, his hand still poised over Arbil's eye. He silently assessed the newcomers, trying to find any openings on them but found none. He looked at who he assumed was the God of this world and instantly became cautious. She emanated a dominant presence and she stared down at him with a dark look that practically said 'make any funny moves and you're dead'.

"Who are you, and why have you come to my world?" Etihw inquired in a powerful voice.

The Darkened angel smirked at her. "My name is none of your concern, but I'm here to get this halfling out of your hair. I apologize if she's caused you all any trouble."

Etihw's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. " _Arbil_ hasn't been any trouble at all." She emphasized the hybrid's name, implicating her dislike of the derogatory term. "And I won't allow you to take her back to her world against her will. She is a citizen of the Gray Garden now, and she shall remain here."

The invader growled aggressively at the God. "But she wasn't born in this world! She doesn't belong here or anywhere else!"

"That doesn't matter!" the God shouted loudly. "Arbil may not have been born here, but that doesn't make her any different from anybody else here. And, of course she belongs in the Gray Garden. She left her home world and came here to feel belonged when you all rejected her just because she was born different, something which she had no control over. It's no wonder she left in the first place. Now, release her or else!"

Arbil stayed still and quiet during Etihw's speech. Her eyes teared up at the God's words. Arbil fully knew that everyone accepted her in the Gray Garden, but hearing those words out loud and with reinforced passion made the hybrid cry. With new vigor motivating her, Arbil struggled wildly.

The Darkened angel twisted his head to his target, growing angrier by the second. "Stop moving, damn it!"

He slammed her head down again. Arbil's vision went black for a second, but she regained her sight. She resisted her stomach's urge to vomit as her world spun. She suspected that she may have a major concussion.

Grora released her arrow, shooting it through the invader's hand. He shouted in agony, entirely letting go of Arbil's neck. While the intruder was distracted, Arbil crawled away and ran to her friends. She stumbled over her own feet and was about to place her hands in front of her to catch herself, but she blacked out from her concussion.

She opened her eyes, black dots spotting her vision. The hybrid gazed up with bleary orbs and found Wodahs carrying her in his arms. He glanced down at her when he noticed her awakening. Her ears registered the ongoing screams of her attacker.

"Wodahs," Arbil muttered. She winced when she tried to raise her head. The back of her head throbbed painfully. "What happened?"

"You passed out and almost fell, but I caught you before that occurred. You came to only a few seconds ago."

"Oh."

Etihw turned to Wodahs and whispered to him. "Is Arbil all right?"

"Yes," the head angel answered, "but she has a bad concussion. We have to treat her wound soon or else it will get worse."

The God nodded, glad that Arbil's condition wasn't too serious at the moment. She averted her attention back to the intruder when she heard his screams stop. He yanked out the arrow and sent a deadly glare at Arbil. She squeaked and clung to Wodahs desperately. His hold on her tightened slightly.

The invader charged at her, claws extended. "I'll kill you!"

Etihw's arm sliced through the air and four sharp white diamonds materialized above her. They pierced the invader's hands and feet and pinned him to the ground in a star formation. He struggled against his bonds but they held fast.

Etihw strutted to him and loomed over him. The Darkened angel gazed up at her, panting harshly.

Her tone turned stone cold. "Listen to me well. Whoever sent you, tell them this. Never come to this world, and if they send anyone else here, I will destroy them and your world without hesitation."

Eti waved her hand over him and a portal opened below him. "Make sure they get the message."

The Darkened angel sunk into the doorway and it closed, the intruder never to be seen again. Etihw sighed, reverting back to her calm composure. She walked to Arbil who was still in Wodahs' arms. She grimaced when she saw her hybrid friend's state. The entirety of the back of her head was almost covered in blood, her raven black and silver locks caked in it. Her pale body was littered with small, bloody slashes. Her angel wing was ruffled, some feathers out of place. Dark purple bruises in the shape of hands marred her neck, pinpricks of blood beading out of small puncture wounds.

"You're safe now Arbil," Eti said with a reassuring smile. "Let me treat your injuries."

Etihw placed her hand on Arbil's head and used her healing magic to heal the hybrid's wounds. Arbil moaned, closing her eyes, as she felt her blood stop flowing and disappearing. Her cuts closed as well.

She opened them once Eti finished and sent her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Etihw."

"You're welcome."

"Thank goodness that's all over now," commented Grora as she put away her weapon.

"Are you able to stand on your feet," asked Wodahs to Arbil.

"Yes," she nodded. "Thanks for catching me."

"My pleasure." He set her feet down first and his hands ghosted over her waist in case she fell over.

"Now that the drama is over and done with," said Etihw, "let's proceed to the Great Hall. Arbil, I would like to discuss more about this intruder from your world."

Arbil nodded and followed her friends inside the castle. She wasn't really looking forward to the discussion. They entered the Great Hall. Kcalb looked up upon their return, his eyes roving over their bodies for anything amiss. He sighed in relief when he found no injuries on them.

"Are you all right Arbil," the Devil asked as they walked to the round table. "Etihw saw you being chased by someone."

Arbil shot him a smile. "I was banged up pretty bad, but Etihw healed me."

"And the intruder?" he inquired, directing the question to his God.

"I sent him back to his world," she responded smugly.

"Lady Etihw took care of him without breaking a sweat," Grora praised her God. "You should have seen her Lord Kcalb, since we haven't seen her in action in a long time."

Etihw's cheeks blushed light pink. "Ohohoh. I don't deserve such flattery Grora, but thank you for the compliment."

Her visage shifted to a more somber attitude. "But to be honest with all of you, I was little wary of our intruder. His power was almost on the same level as mine. Thankfully, Arbil weakened him beforehand."

She turned her head to the hybrid. "I believed you when you said that certain angels were about as powerful as Gods and Devils, but confronting one of them was completely nerve-wracking. And you're telling me that there's more people like him?"

Arbil solemnly nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

Sensing the gloomy atmosphere, Grora spoke up to lighten the mood. "But you beat him, Lady Etihw. I'm sure you'll win again if any more of those guys show up."

"But she is right on being wary Grora," Wodahs interjected. "I sensed his power as well, and he would have been a challenge to all of us if Arbil hadn't damaged him before coming to us."

"All that matters now is that he's gone and Arbil is safe," said Kcalb, changing the subject. He did not like the idea of any other person being more powerful than Eti. "Now, may we please move on?"

Etihw hummed, agreeing with the Devil. "Good idea, Kcalb. Arbil, how do you think that, I believe Darkened angel you mentioned one time, arrived here?"

"I suspect that Revlis has the Gray Garden orb and sent that guy after me. I don't know how he would've returned though. The portal closes on its own after someone passes through."

The hybrid's face looked crestfallen at the thought of her friend. "If Revlis does have it, that means Crimson failed on defending it. I'm worried about him now, whether he's still alive or…"

Arbil's mouth closed with a click, not wishing to voice out the last word. She blinked her eyes rapidly to prevent tears from falling down.

Etihw frowned upon seeing the hybrid's glum expression. She gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm certain that Crimson is well, Arbil. He wouldn't give up so easily if he knows that your life is in danger."

Arbil nodded and wiped her eyes. She must have hope that Crimson is still kicking.

"Why do you think that your God wants you back," Kcalb questioned. "When you first arrived here, you said everybody in your world despised you, including your God."

Arbil shook her head in confusion. "I'm not sure myself. He was always degrading me. I thought he would be glad that I was finally gone, but I guess he wants me back because I left without his authorization."

"Well, you don't have to worry anymore Arbil," said Etihw confidently. "We shall protect you from all harm. How about recuperating for the remainder of the day? You have been through a lot."

Arbil slouched, her wings drooping at the mention of rest. The events of today finally caught up to her, leaving her extremely worn out.

She stifled a yawn. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea right now."

She jumped in the air when the double doors slammed open with a loud bang. She whirled around and saw Yosafire and her friends run to her in a crazed stampede. She flinched back when she saw their crying faces. Even Froze had a couple of tears running down her cheeks.

"Arbil!" Yosafire sobbed, practically flying to her with tears in her eyes.

The fire demon threw herself on Arbil. The hybrid barely caught her, trying to steady her balance but then the others bombarded her. Arbil fell to the floor with a grunt, her angel and demon friends piled on top of her. They chatted to her all at once, their words jumbled into incoherency. The hybrid managed to pop her head out and get oxygen in her lungs for the second time today.

Before Arbil could talk, Yosafire spoke first, wrapping her arms around the hybrid's neck and crying on her chest. "Oh, Arbil! We heard what happened to you! We were so worried that you might have been hurt or worse!"

Macarona, who was on top of Yosafire, cried louder. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Arbil awkwardly wrapped her arms around her friends, patting the few she could touch. She smiled from underneath them. "Everything's fine now, girls. I'm okay, really."

A few tears escaped from her eyes as her friends continued to fret over her. She was really lucky to have great friends to care for her.

* * *

 **That's it for now! Thank you all for your continuing support in reviews, follows, and favorites! I really appreciate them, though I wish I could get a lot more.** **Review please!**


	15. New Additions

**Hey everybody! I hope you all are having a wonderful summer. Fan of Games, I want to thank you for your suggestions on how to progress my story. I read your review, and some of the ideas that you posted I already had in mind, but a bit tweaked. Again, thank you for them. Feel free to take back your ideas for your own stories. With that out of the way, here is the next chapter!**

 **P.S My birthday just passed, and I am really excited. I'm not going to tell you all how old I am. You're going to have to guess.**

* * *

Several bodies collapsed on the floor in the floating castle in the hallway where the portal room was. The guards raised their weapons, stances alert, when they heard grunts of pain and bodies falling. A dark figure sped around the corner in a flash and dashed towards two guards. Before they could move a single muscle, the figure swiftly knocked them out with a chop to the back of their necks. Crimson glanced down at their unconscious bodies before running onward, Hikari clinging onto his back. He incapacitated more people with deftness as he ran to the portal room.

Since his initial infiltration a month ago, he gathered bits of information about Revlis' next plan. Apparently, the person that was sent to retrieve Arbil failed by evidence of his numerous wounds and white diamonds. He remembered eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I'm sorry for failing my mission, Your Holiness," the Darkened angel apologized, his voice gruff. "I thought I could handle it, but the halfling had help from a couple of powerful angels and their God." His voice shook. "Please spare my life, Your Holiness."

Crimson could hear Revlis' studded shoes tapping on the floor. He gritted his teeth.

"I thought that world would reject her, but apparently she has allies, and with their God no less," Revlis commented to himself. "This just became more difficult."

He stared down at the kneeling Darkened angel in front of him with an angry glare. The God wanted to destroy him for his incompetence, but he still required his assistance.

Revlis huffed out a furious breath. "I will spare your life this one time. But if you screw up again, don't expect any mercy."

The Darkened angel heaved a sigh of relief, his tense body relaxing. "Thank you, Your Holiness. I won't fail again."

"See that you don't."

"So, what now?" the icy tone of Frost piped up. A hint of impatience laced his voice as well. "Can't you just send me, Your Holiness? I'll be able to subdue the halfling and return in no time flat."

Revlis raised his hand and shook his head. "No, Frost. It's still too soon to send you or the other members of the Dark Brigade. Did you already forget that their God threatened to kill any more Darkened angles that trespass? Instead, I'll gather a team of demons while the Gray Garden orb recharges."

And today was the day when Revlis would be sending those demons to the Gray Garden. Crimson was going to use this opportunity to get into the Gray Garden world and warn them about the incoming demons.

A group of demons assembled in front of the Gray Garden orb, its spherical shape turned into a doorway of light. Revlis stood imposingly before them, his back facing the portal.

"All right, listen up!" he commanded.

The murmuring ceased and they all stood at attention.

"Now, my last subordinate failed his objective. I am counting on all of you to get the halfling back in one piece. Do not disappoint me."

"Yes, Your Holiness," they chorused loudly.

When they took a step forward, the door burst open and Crimson flew in, Hikari gripping tightly on his person. Everyone was too stunned to move as Crimson rushed in, diving into the portal.

Revlis snapped out of his trance, snarling from the other side and scowling fiercely at Crimson. "Crimson, you bas-"

The God was cut off when Crimson closed the portal behind him, his and Hikari's bodies encompassed in darkness. He exhaled in relief, allowing his body to fully relax. _We're finally on our way._

Revlis stood rigid in front of the orb. The demons glanced to one other in confusion, wondering what happened. The air suddenly condensed around Revlis. The demons took wary steps backwards as his energy swirled dangerously around him. They did not want to be killed by his blind rage.

Revlis gnashed his teeth together so hard, they nearly cracked. "That's it," he growled lowly. "Forget the halfling. I'm going to that world and obliterating everything she cares about there! That should be punishment enough."

Unfamiliar footsteps padded into the room. The demons turned to the sound and immediately dispersed to the sides in fear, creating a pathway for the figure. Revlis' energy disappeared as he sensed a very powerful aura behind him, about two levels higher than his. The presence was nearly overwhelming that his instincts told him to cower, but he threw them out the window.

He turned around and saw a hooded figure standing there, a wooden staff with a crystal ball on top in its right hand. He couldn't see the person's face as it was shadowed by the hood.

He glared at the mysterious figure. "Who are you?"

The person replied with a feminine pitch. It held a wise and elderly undertone to it. "My name is none of your business. I am merely here to give you a warning. The idea that you have will end in failure for you. The combined power of angel, demon, Darkened angel, and hybrid will cause your downfall if you continue this path."

Revlis scoffed. "I'm not going to let a dumb prophecy decide my fate. My people and I are strong, and can take out those weak Gray Garden angels and demons easily."

The mysterious woman smirked under her hood. "You are correct, but I'm about to tip the scales."

The person held up her staff and a purple glow emanated from the crystal ball. It released a huge wave in a powerful pulse, big enough to reach the city. When it hit Revlis, he felt his power significantly decrease.

"What did you do to me?" he questioned, baring his canines.

"I weakened you and all of the Darkened angels in the city," the stranger calmly explained. "Since you are so insistent on invading Gray Garden, I decided to even the playing field, make things fair for them."

The God snarled. "Demons, capture her!"

They rushed forward as ordered. They stretched their hands to the woman, but she escaped their grasp by slipping into a portal that materialized underneath her. It closed before the horde of demons could give chase.

In five minutes, two people (technically three) left his world without his permission. His golden orbs flashed in frustration, his hands clenched tightly into fists, cutting off circulation. He let out a voluminous, furious yowl that echoed throughout the castle and city.

* * *

Arbil's eyebrows scrunched together in deep contemplation. She gazed at the chess pieces below her, thinking on how to capture the opposing king with the best strategy. Kcalb sat across from her, patiently waiting for Arbil's next move. Etihw was positioned between them, watching them play with an amused look. After observing Etihw and Kcalb playing chess several times, Arbil wanted to go up against one of them to test her skills.

An imaginary lightbulb lit up above her head. With a confident grin, she moved her knight around his rook, capturing the king.

"Checkmate!" she proclaimed proudly.

Kcalb stared down at the board with a shocked expression. Eti chuckled.

"My, that was impressive Arbil," the God complimented. "You managed to beat Kcalb on your first try. You're a quick learner."

Arbil's cheeks blushed. "Thank you, Etihw."

"You probably cheated somehow like Eti," the Devil mumbled dejectedly. "But you did very well."

The hybrid giggled, her new accessory jiggling against her neck. It was a choker that Etihw and Kcalb made for her as a gift. Alternating black and white diamonds encircled her throat, a gray diamond in the middle.

They were about to set up a new game when Yosafire burst into the room. She ran to their table, panting and sweating heavily.

"Yosafire?" Etihw said, puzzled at the demon's abrupt entrance. "You're acting strange. Is something the matter?"

The fire demon took in deep breaths to slow her racing heart. She responded once she got some air in her lungs. "Sorry, but this is urgent. Another outsider fell from the sky and crashed into the middle of the village."

Arbil, Etihw, and Kcalb's spines stood stock still. The hybrid started perspiring, her heart jumping to her throat. If it was the same guy or a different person from her world, they most likely had the same objective: kidnap her and return her to her home world.

"Is it the same person that attacked Arbil?" Etihw asked, eyes narrowed.

Yosafire scratched her head. "I don't think so," she replied with hesitance.

When the girls calmed down from their bawling, Arbil explained her situation to them, including a description of the attacker.

Yosafire resumed. "I don't believe he's evil though."

"What makes you think that," Kcalb inquired.

"Well, he hasn't attacked anyone, and has a little girl with him. I don't think anybody with a child could be dangerous."

Etihw and Kcalb glanced to one another, communicating with their eyes on what to do next. As silent words transferred between them, Arbil pitched in. "What does he look like?"

"He has black wings and these bright red eyes," Yosafire listed.

Arbil gasped sharply when the fire demon said red eye. The only person she knew with red eyes was Crimson. _Could it be?_

She swiftly stood on her feet, her chair toppling over. "Are you sure you saw red eyes?"

Yosafire nodded. "Positive."

Etihw turned to Arbil. "You know this person?"

The God's question fell on deaf ears as Arbil pushed forward on the balls of her feet, zooming past Yosafire. The only thing on her mind was confirming if the outsider was her friend or not. The fire demon followed closely behind.

Arbil used the teleport slate to reach the ground floor then dashed to the castle doors. As soon as her foot touched the outside, she expanded her wings and took off to the village. She didn't see if Yosafire was keeping up with her.

A mantra repeated through her head. _Please, let it be him._

* * *

Crimson rubbed his head, hissing in pain. He blinked several times to re-orientate his brain. He was totally unprepared when he was suddenly free-falling from the sky. He barely had time to adjust his position, making sure Hikari was safe, before crashing.

He slowly raised his eyes when he heard mumbling. A couple of demons and angels approached him cautiously. They didn't get too close, staying a few feet away. Soon, the entire village surrounded him. Hikari hid behind him, his huge wings covering her. She gripped his shirt, her body tense. Crimson remained on edge, waiting to see if any one of them would make a move. None of them did, the crowd just giving him strange looks.

He picked up on some of the mumbling. They said that a person with black wings came earlier and assaulted Arbil, and wondered if he was going to do the same thing.

 _They must be talking about the Darkened angel Revlis sent,_ he thought. _Of course they're scared of me. At least they didn't attack us on sight._

An angel clad in a green and red outfit looked up at the sky. "It's Arbil," she softly shouted, pointing up.

Crimson's heart sped at the mention of her name. He gazed up along with everybody else and instantly recognized the mismatched wings. A smile pulled on his lips.

 _She's all right. I'm so glad she's safe._

The crowd parted to allow Arbil to land in front of him. A demon with red-rimmed glasses landed behind her. Crimson and Arbil stared at each other, their eyes soaking in the appearance of the other. The Darkened angel noticed her new clothes and necklace, which looked great on her. Besides her physical appearance, there was something different about her that he couldn't place.

Arbil couldn't believe her eyes. Her best friend was actually here, in the Gray Garden and in the flesh. Her orbs took in every inch of him, assuring herself that it was really him and not a clone or an illusion. He was a bit battered and his clothes tattered, but he looked overall healthy.

The corners of her lips lifted into a sunny smile. "Crimson," she breathed, "it's really you."

He grinned in response. His spirit felt light at hearing her airy tone again. "There is only one of me."

Arbil relished in his voice, that deep baritone that always comforted her. She missed it so much.

The hybrid turned to the angels and demons who stayed quiet during their conversation. They all looked to her with anticipation, waiting for her verdict.

Arbil sent them a warm, reassuring smile. "Don't worry, everybody," she announced. "He-"

She paused when she saw a little girl peek out from behind Crimson. The child gazed up at Arbil with curious blue eyes.

Arbil's grin brightened. " _They_ are my friends," she corrected. "They won't cause any harm."

The villagers trusted the hybrid with all their hearts, so they took her word without any questions. They relaxed and disbanded, continuing with their daily activities. The only people left was Crimson, Arbil, Hikari, Yosafire and her friends.

Arbil offered her hand to her friend. "Need a hand?"

Crimson gladly took it and stood up, brushing off his pants. Hikari rose up as well, still hiding behind her father's leg.

Arbil turned to her Gray Garden friends. "Girls, let me formally introduce you to my best friend, Crimson. Crimson, these are my friends Yosafire, Froze, Macarona, Rawberry, Chelan, and Dialo." She pointed to the girls respectively.

The Darkened angel smiled and dipped his head. "Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

The girls greeted him in their own way.

"Wow Arbil," Yosafire said, "your friend is pretty handsome. If my heart didn't belong to Froze, I would totally hit on him."

Froze and Arbil both stood motionless and flustered at the fire demon's blatant comment. Froze, embarrassed at her friend's outward love for her, and Arbil shocked at the unusual statement.

"Yosafire!" Arbil shouted. "Don't say things like that so casually!"

Crimson chuckled deeply. "It's alright, Arbil," he placated. "I don't mind. Thank you for the compliment."

The hybrid massaged her cheeks to expel her blush. "If you say so." She gave a friendly grin to the angel child. "And who is this?"

Crimson rubbed the back of his neck, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "This… this is my daughter, Hikari," he uncharacteristically stuttered.

"Really?" Arbil's voice pitched higher in surprise. "She's your daughter?"

Hikari poked her head out and waved, smiling brightly like the sun. "Hello!"

"Technically, she's my adopted daughter," he quickly clarified. "She found and took care of me when I was injured. She was all alone, so I decided to take her in, and later I adopted her."

He ruffled her hair affectionately. Hikari giggled in response.

Arbil smiled at Crimson's generosity. Their world could not suppress his big heart. "Aww. Well, it's nice to meet you Hikari."

It just clicked in her head that she abruptly left Etihw and Kcalb with no explanation.

"We better head to BlancBlack castle," she stated to Crimson. "The God and Devil, Etihw and Kcalb, heard that outsiders arrived and are wary. They would want to see you to confirm that you're not a threat."

Crimson nodded. "All right, lead the way."

Arbil escorted the group to the castle, the girls (sans Chelan) asking Crimson and Hikari all kinds of questions. She wanted to just grab him and take him away somewhere private where they could talk all day, ask him how he was faring since their separation but held her tongue. She has all the time in the world now.

"So, you guys are able to get along well, despite being angels and demons," Crimson asked with curiosity.

"Yes," Dialo answered. Chelan agreed silently. "Nobody fights or kill each other here. Everybody is friendly."

"Sounds like paradise to me."

Arbil had to bite down on her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing as they walked closer to the castle. His expression was identical to hers when she saw the world for the first time. Crimson was usually composed and confident, so seeing him taking in the colorful world like a newborn baby was comical. With him and Hikari experiencing the same things as her, she didn't feel quite alone.

The motley group reached the Great Hall doors. Arbil pushed them open with a loud groan. Kcalb and Etihw look up at the sound of their arrival.

Etihw spoke. "Arbil, you left so suddenly without saying a word. Is everything okay?"

The hybrid nodded. A guilty smile formed on her lips. "Sorry. I was so excited to see if the intruder was my friend that everything else was blank."

"And was it?"

Arbil vigorously bobbed her head. "Yep!" She stepped to the side. "This is my best friend, Crimson, and his daughter, Hikari."

A flash of something sparked in Etihw's dark eyes when they landed on Crimson. Arbil wasn't able to decipher the look as it disappeared as if it wasn't there at all. The hybrid raised an eyebrow in confusion, but let it pass.

Crimson got on one knee and bowed his head. Hikari mimicked his position hastily.

"It is an honor to meet the God and Devil of this wonderful world," Crimson respectfully stated. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

Etihw chuckled. "It is nice to meet you too. And please, stand up. We don't do that here."

The red-eyed male obediently followed the order. Hikari got up and clung to her daddy's leg, staying quiet unless spoken to.

The God continued, smirking. "So you're the infamous Crimson. Arbil always talked about you."

The Darkened angel laughed lowly. "I hope they were good things," he responded, glancing at Arbil from the corner of his eyes, smirking at her.

She blushed profusely, hiding her flaming cheeks behind her hair.

"Ohoh. No worries. They were all positive statements." Eti's eyes moved to Hikari, her lips becoming gentler. "And you are Hikari?"

She leaned closer to her father, her grip tightening ever so slightly. Crimson put his hand on her back and gently nudged her forward. The light angel looked up and saw him nod in consent. She let go of his pants and stepped forward, her head high.

"Yes I am, ma'am," she replied softly.

"It's been eons since I've seen a child," Eti cooed. "You're so adorable."

Hikari giggled cutely, a rosy blush staining her face.

"Can we please change the subject, Etihw?" Kcalb interjected. "I don't mean to be rude, but we have certain matters to discuss."

The God pouted. "Alright, you're correct." Her focus shifted to Crimson. "So Crimson, I assume you and Hikari arrived here the same way Arbil did."

Crimson dipped his chin. "Yes, but I should elaborate more."

He took in a deep breath. "After Arbil went through the portal, I took the orb and guarded it for a few weeks. Revlis' demons and Darkened angels constantly tracked Hikari and me, and they finally managed to take it back from me a month ago."

"That was around the same time that Darkened angel came and assaulted me," Arbil inserted.

"Yeah," said Crimson. "Just today, we fled through the gate when Revlis activated it."

Crimson's demeanor then changed to grim. "But there is one more problem. Revlis isn't done with you, Arbil. When I dashed into the gate, he had a small group of demons assembled to kidnap you again. He was serious this time."

The room grew quiet at the new development. They all gazed at each other with worrying expressions.

"I have a strong feeling that he might initiate an invasion now that the both of us escaped," he added.

The girls were slightly scared of the possible invasion. It was understandable since they felt like they were attacked not too long ago. Macarona trembled at the thought of her home being nearly destroyed again, and encountering horrible demons. Rawberry, for once staying awake and paying attention, placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

Etihw and Kcalb stared at each other with deep concern. Though Crimson said Revlis was only bringing demons this time, they didn't want to go through another intense battle. They both attempted to mask the subtle fear in their orbs, but couldn't quite disguise it.

Arbil mumbled so softly that Crimson was the only one who barely heard her. He twisted his head to her. "What did you say, Arbil?"

Her head was down. He couldn't see her face as it was shrouded by her hair. "I… I…"

She lifted her head, speaking a bit louder. "I think I should return to my world."

Before anyone could protest, she swiftly continued. "I have no choice. Revlis won't stop sending people, and eventually he'll come here himself and kill everyone just for me. If I go peacefully, he might leave you all alone. Besides, this is all my fault. If I didn't come here, this wouldn't be happening to you guys."

Arbil's tears accumulated in her eyes and a few fat droplets flowed down her cheeks. She gripped her hand around the gray diamond on her choker. "But I don't want to go," she sniffled. "This world, I've grown to love it as if I've lived here my whole life. Everyone's been so kind to me despite my mixed blood, and I don't want to leave so soon."

The hybrid sobbed into her hands, her body shaking. Crimson instantly ran to her side and comforted her. He guided her head to his shoulder and rubbed her back soothingly. As an extra measure, he draped his wing over her, encompassing her in his warmth.

"You don't have to go."

Every person in the room looked up when Kcalb spoke. Arbil peered upward to him through her fingers, salty streaks running down her face.

No one said anything, so he resumed. "All of us understand that you are doing this to protect us, to protect our world when not long ago we were invaded. But you shouldn't go. Etihw, Yosafire, me, and everyone else here gave you a second chance at living a happy life. You shouldn't give up so easily or else it will make you look like a coward."

The Devil said his next sentence with such a firm tone that everyone took it as gospel. "You are a member of Gray Garden, and we will do everything in our power to keep you here."

Arbil's eyes widened at Kcalb's declaration. Her tears stopped and she choked some mucus back. She didn't realize that he could give such an inspirational speech of that caliber. He rarely voiced his true thoughts, so it was a bit of a shock to her. Though the speech was directed to her, she had a feeling that Kcalb was talking about himself.

The hybrid gazed down when she saw movement off to her left. It was Yosafire, her usual carefree grin plastered on her face. "Old man is right you know. Arbil, you're like a big sister to us," she gestured to her friends. "And everyone else obviously cares for you deeply. You're a part of our world, and it wouldn't be the same without you."

Arbil's heart panged strongly, the compassion of Yosafire resonating within her. The hybrid cried again but her tears of sorrow were now tears of joy. Her legs shook and she collapsed on the ground, Crimson holding her shoulders to keep her steady. Yosafire hugged her, and the other girls ran to Arbil, replicating their fire demon friend's action. Arbil didn't think any more water could fall from her eyes, but they did. They flowed down her face as the warmth of all her companions surrounded her.

A warm grin graced Crimson's face. He was in the center of the embrace, a couple of the girls hugging him as well. He felt Hikari squirm her way in between the bodies, reaching Arbil. He teared up a bit as his friend's sobs quieted down. He previously felt guilty that he wasn't there for her for the past two months, but he was grateful that she found wonderful friends that cared for her as much as he did.

* * *

 **And that's it for now! This was kind of a struggle to write considering I was on vacation while writing this. But I did it for you guys, so you're welcome. Thanks for all your support in reading and reviewing! Hopefully, I will have the next chapter up soon, so please be patient.**

 **Review please!**


	16. Relaxation Day

**Hey everybody! I'm sorry that I didn't update again last month. This chapter tended to be longer than I expected, but that just means that you all have something to occupy your time until the next update. My second online summer class started last week, and since it only lasts six weeks, the assignments are jam packed, so my schedule is pretty tight now.**

 **The good news is that I finished the outline for this story, so now I have a clear idea on what direction it is going and the updates should be slightly faster. I even have an idea for a sequel, but I'm going to leave that for later. Despite my tight schedule, I will do my best to continue this story, so don't worry about it ending or anything. With that out of the way, on with the story!**

* * *

When Arbil finished crying, everybody separated from her. Etihw offered rooms in the castle for Crimson and Hikari to stay in for the time being. They gladly accepted them and went to sleep early after all the hardships they experienced in the past few weeks. The girls returned to their homes, but Yosafire promised that they will hang out tomorrow.

The next day, specifically the early afternoon, Crimson found himself in the Great Hall, Etihw and Kcalb sitting on their chairs. Wodahs stood off to the side, silent as a shadow. The Darkened angel gazed to his right and saw Arbil standing there too, Hikari in between them. He glanced down his body at the new garments he discovered in his room. His torso was open for the world to see as he wore a black open vest. He also donned on gray ripped jeans and black sandals. His chain belt looped through his pants, a small length of it hanging out from his side. He still had his spiked bracelets but opted to not wear the one around his neck.

A tender smile graced his lips when his eyes moved to Hikari. She finally had a chance to bathe herself, so her porcelain skin was free and clean of accumulated grime. Her matted black locks sparkled too, glossy and flowy. He caught a whiff of cherry blossoms from her as he eyed her new attire.

She was the only one who wore bright colors in the room. Crimson thought it suited her, matching her sunny personality. She was adorned in a small, coral blue flowy shirt with lace trimmings and a yellow ruffled skirt that reached above her knees. Hikari wore cream-colored ballet slippers on her feet where the ribbons wrapped around her legs in a crisscross pattern, and stopped below her knees. A big yellow bow embroidered with white, five-pointed stars in a straight line was tied to the back of her hair. Crimson thought his daughter was more beautiful than before.

He yawned loudly, covering his open mouth. Pinpricks of tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. Crimson wanted to sleep more on his comfy bed, the first time he was able to receive proper rest in months, but the urgency of coming up with battle strategies came first. He would've loved to sleep in past noon, but forced himself to get out of bed.

"I'm sorry, Etihw and Kcalb," Crimson yawned out. "I'm still very tired."

The God giggled. "No worries, Crimson. Kcalb and I don't usually wake up until past midday. You already fit right in."

The Darkened angel raised a surprised eyebrow. It was unheard of a God and Devil being lazy, but he supposed it was okay since this was a peaceful world.

"You wanted to discuss something," Kcalb prompted.

"Yes, my lord," Crimson stood alert now. "I have no doubt that Revlis will bring his personal guards in the near future, thus I would like to inform you both of his members."

Etihw gestured for him to continue. "All right, go ahead."

"I know two of them very well, but the other three I know only of their power," Crimson elaborated. "Frost uses black ice magic and Nova uses negative space magic. The remaining three: one of them produces explosions, another is able to conjure tangible illusions, and the last is capable of shape-shifting into different people and using their power."

Eti hummed thoughtfully. "They sound very formidable."

"They are. I suggest we start training the people that are already strong, strengthen their magic. Revlis will attack within a month, so it should be plenty of time to train."

"I agree," said Etihw. "But first, we should refine your weapon and make ones for Hikari and Arbil. As you may know, weapons greatly amplify the user's magic."

The God's eyes shone with excitement. "I'm curious about your and Hikari's magic. Do you mind showing me?"

Crimson nodded. He held out his palm and conjured a small flame. "When I Darkened, my power changed to demonic fire."

Etihw oohed. "Fascinating. I've never seen fire of that color before. What about you, Hikari?"

The light angel walked forward to the god. She displayed her least powerful move, her Milky Way Ribbon. Hikari held it out in front of her. Etihw's eyes glittered in amazement at the child's power. They followed the stars swirling in spiral motions. The God reached out to touch it, but refrained to not get hurt.

"Amazing Hikari," Eti breathed. "Your light magic is at a cosmic level. You could even create a big star if you wanted to. That's powerful magic for a little girl."

Hikari puffed out her chest and made her ribbon disappear before returning to her daddy and Arbil's side.

"You may give your sword to Wodahs, Crimson, to refine it," Etihw ordered, gesturing with her chin to the head angel.

Wodahs stepped to the Darkened angel and held out his hands. Crimson felt slightly uncomfortable about not having his weapon on him. In his world, you are constantly under threat from someone or something, so he was going to feel practically useless. But he obliged and willingly gave it to Wodahs.

"Do you have any inklings on what you want as your weapons, Arbil and Hikari?" the God questioned.

Hikari put a finger on her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face. She knew next to nothing about weapons except her father's sword. She fought against the Darkened angel that materialized different swords, but she didn't know the names of them. She definitely didn't want a sharp weapon. Her daddy would freak.

She gasped, an epiphany hitting her. "I want a star wand please!"

Kcalb dipped his head, confirming her decision. "That's a good choice. A wand isn't dangerous and easy to handle. You won't hurt yourself with it either."

"And you, Arbil?" Etihw pointed out. "Do you have anything in mind?"

Arbil hummed, tipping her head side to side. "A double-headed spear," she answered the first thing that came up in her mind.

"That's a peculiar choice," Etihw commented. "A double-headed spear is one of the few weapons that take years to master. Why that one?"

"I'm… not sure myself," Arbil responded slowly. "It's familiar to me somehow."

The God nodded, accepting the answer and not questioning it further. "All right."

Crimson thought it was odd as well. Why would Arbil choose a weapon that was hard to master? Why want a weapon in the first place? He mentally admitted to himself that a double-headed spear was perfect for her. He didn't understand, but it seemed familiar to him too.

"While the weapons are being commissioned, you all are free to do whatever you like," Etihw offered. "They should be done by sunset."

"Um, is it wise to be relaxing at a time like this," Crimson said with uncertainty.

"We have a month before the invasion." Etihw waved off his concern. "There's nothing wrong with taking a day off, especially since you arrived just yesterday. Enjoy yourself."

"She's right Crimson," said Arbil with an encouraging smile. "It's only going to be a day, then we'll train tomorrow."

She grasped his hand and pulled him to the door. "Yosafire and the others should be done with school by now. Let's play with them. Come along, Hikari!"

"Yay!" the light angel exclaimed, happily running after the adults.

* * *

The red-eyed angel now sat in the flower garden attempting to make a flower crown. Emphasize on attempting. Actually, he gave up a while ago. His gaze kept on lifting to Arbil who was sitting inches away from him, constructing a floral crown with expertise. Crimson twisted his head to the right when he heard Hikari's laughter. She was with Yosafire learning how to make the accessory. The rest of her friends were scattered around, doing their own thing.

He chuckled when Hikari called the fire demon Big Sis Yosaf. The light child began doing that when she met the group of girls the second time. Yosafire was surprised at first, but accepted it a second later, saying she always wanted a little sister. Hikari called the other girls Big Sis and they went along with it, pleasing the little girl.

A light breeze tousled his short bangs. He brushed it aside and squinted up at the sun. He groaned quietly as his orbs absorbed the many colors of the Gray Garden.

Arbil heard him and looked at him with concern. "Are you alright, Crimson?"

"Yeah," he responded, rubbing his eyes. "It's just the brightness and colors of this world is hurting my eyes."

Arbil giggled. "I know the feeling. You'll get used to it eventually."

Crimson sighed, setting down his flower crown. He felt naked without his weapon on him, unsettled, so he looked up at Arbil to ease his mind. Upon closer inspection, he found out why Arbil looked different. There was a certain glow from her that the Gray Garden bestowed on her. Their world dulled her personality but now she looked brighter, freer. He secretly admired it.

"Are we sure it's okay to be having fun with an impending invasion over our heads?" Crimson asked his friend, his tone lilting a pitch higher.

Arbil smiled back with reassurance. "Yes, Crimson. I know that you are used to being on constant alert, but there's no need for that here. You can completely let go and have no worries."

He was still a bit skeptical but trusted his friend. He exhaled loudly. "Okay, I'll try my best."

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Crimson grinned when Hikari ran up to him. "What is it, little star?"

She held up two floral accessories, a crown and necklace, proudly. "Big Sis Yosaf helped me make these. What do you think?"

He ruffled her hair, tender affection gracing his features. "That's very good, Hikari. They're beautiful."

Hikari smiled brightly at her father's praise. Arbil grinned too. She acknowledged that Crimson was a wonderful person, but she never really expect to see him as a father figure. It was a nice sight to observe.

"This one is for you, daddy." Hikari said, placing the necklace around Crimson's neck. "And this one is for you, Arbil." She put the crown on Arbil's head.

"Thank you Hikari," Arbil said with a smile. "It's lovely."

"I don't know if this looks good on me, being a guy," Crimson stated, embarrassed.

His hybrid friend chuckled. "You look great, Crimson."

He tried to suppress the blush that threatened to crawl up his cheeks, but it still faintly showed.

The red-eyed angel gazed at the flower crown on Arbil's head. Without any warning, a vision flashed before him. It was for a split second but he saw it. He saw Arbil but she was embellished in gorgeous fancy clothing, a flower crown wrapped around her head. Crimson tried to hold on to the image, but it slipped from his grasp just like the wind.

He blinked and found himself back with reality, Arbil the same as before. He took in a silent intake of air as he tried to comprehend what he saw.

 _What was that just now? Why was a different picture of Arbil shown to me? More importantly, why does it feel like I've seen her like that before?_

The Darkened angel desperately dug for the image again, but all he got was a minor headache.

He mentally growled. _Great, now it's going to bother me all day._

Hikari stared between her father and Arbil with innocent eyes. She noticed that her daddy acted slightly different in the presence of the hybrid, though it was mostly subtle. She didn't quite understand the depth of the relationship between the two adults, but she liked the closeness. And if Arbil liked her father…

Hikari tugged on the hybrid's sleeve, grabbing Arbil's attention.

"Yes, Hikari?" she asked softly.

The child's question startled everybody in their group, except Rawberry who was busy snoozing.

"Will you be my mommy?"

Crimson and Arbil stared at the girl with comically wide eyes. She was unfazed by their incredulous looks, patiently waiting for a response. Yosafire and her friends stopped what they were doing, now intently listening to the conversation. Crimson gawked at his friend, curious about her answer. Would she say yes to appease Hikari or say no?

Arbil spoke steadily. "Are you sure you want someone like me to be your mother?" She flitted her wings. "I'm not the best candidate considering my heritage."

Hikari shook her head. "That doesn't matter to me. You're really nice and pretty, and everyone here likes you. And if daddy likes you, it's only fair that you be my mommy."

Crimson nearly choked on his tongue. His daughter practically told Arbil his true feelings for her. He never told Hikari about his love for his friend, and she blurted it out for the whole world to hear. He trembled internally, terrified of what Arbil would think of him now.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to interpret it that way. The "like" part brushed over her head.

Arbil grinned softly. "Okay, I'll be your mommy."

Hikari cheered and threw herself on the hybrid. Arbil easily caught her, laughing and cuddling with her. Crimson smiled at the cute sight, his heart swelling with warmth. He had no doubt that Arbil would make an excellent mother.

 _Wait, so if she is the mom, we're a family. Meaning Arbil and I are almost like husband and wife._

Blood rushed to his cheeks unbidden. He pinched them frantically, attempting to get rid of his blush.

 _No, don't think that,_ he scolded himself. _As much as I love that thought, I can't dwell on it. As long as I can keep them both, I'm content._

The girls didn't take notice of him, too distracted with their embrace.

The rest of the day was spent with Arbil showing Crimson and Hikari the activities she participated in with her friends. She especially loved Crimson's reaction when he ate Dialo's apple pie for the first time. The hybrid will forever remember his priceless expression. They all separated to their homes once the sun set. Arbil, Crimson, and Hikari returned to the Great Hall to receive their weapons.

Etihw smiled when they entered. "Perfect timing, you all. Wodahs just came back with your weapons."

The head angel strolled to Crimson first, handing him his giant broadsword. The blade was sharpened to perfection. All the dents and scratches were gone, making the sword shine with newness.

The Darkened angel admired his weapon. "This is really good craftsmanship. It looks brand new. Thank you, Wodahs."

He dipped his head then moved on to Hikari. "Here is the star wand you requested."

Hikari snatched it from Wodahs' hand with gleeful impatience. He didn't mind the impolite gesture. Her eyes sparkled at the design. The body was cylindrical-shaped and sky blue, silver metal curling upwards to the base. A transparent bubble case topped it, a yellow five-pointed plastic star in it.

"I love it!" the light angel exclaimed cheerfully. "Thank you, Uncle Wodahs!"

Wodahs' single gray eye stretched a bit at the relative name. The corner of his lips twitched upwards then disappeared.

Lastly, he moved to Arbil. "And here is your weapon, Arbil."

Arbil grasped the double-headed spear, filling her with unknown nostalgia. The staff was jet black, the blades curved then pointed at the end. They had straight grooves running up halfway. A white ribbon was coiled around one end, a strip hanging out with a small diamond-shaped hole at the end of it. The other end had a black ribbon with the same design.

"Since you don't possess any magic," Etihw inserted, "Kcalb and I took the liberty of putting our diamonds on each end. You should be able to utilize them as you see fit. You'll figure out their uses when you start training."

Arbil's heart lifted at their thoughtfulness. She previously thought she had to purely defend herself using her skills, but she had magical backup as a bonus.

Arbil bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you so much, Etihw and Kcalb. You too, Wodahs."

"Our pleasure," Eti answered. "Now, get some rest. We have the first of many strenuous days ahead of us."

* * *

Crimson breathed in the chilly air of the night. He was in the flower garden, sitting back with his legs stretched out and elbows supporting him, face raised to the black sky. He was amazed by the blanket over the world. It wasn't pitch black like in his world; the sky was dark blue (or indigo, he couldn't decide yet) and had stars decorating it. The full moon illuminated the land in an ethereal silver glow, still giving it a light source though somewhat dull.

"Hey you."

Crimson jolted in surprise and whirled around to face the possible threat. He almost gave himself whiplash from the force. He reached for his sword but remembered that he left it in his room. He instantly relaxed when he saw it was Arbil.

She giggled at his previous tense form. "Did I scare you?"

He felt his cheeks heat up. "No," he barked out too quickly to be convincing.

Arbil quirked an eyebrow, her smug smile widening further.

Crimson grumbled when his friend didn't believe him. "Okay, I was startled a tiny bit. You can be really quiet at times, you know."

Arbil laughed again and sat next to him, folding her legs to the side. Their arms nearly brushed together, sending small tingles through the Darkened angel's body.

"I didn't mean to scare you, honestly," Arbil apologized. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"This is my second day here, but first time I'm seeing the night." He tilted his head up to the sky again, a soft look on his face. "It's so different here. The moon provides illumination even though it's not as bright as the sun. The sky has stars to embellish its blank canvas. I can see why you love this world."

Arbil nodded. "It's the only world I've visited, but Gray Garden is the best."

The two friends sat there in companionable silence. A gust of wind caressed them, tousling their hair.

Out of nowhere, Arbil flung herself at Crimson, trapping him in a tight embrace. He stiffened at the unexpected contact. His heart thumped against his ribcage. His temperature rose so fast that he was afraid he was going to burst into flames. Crimson looked down to see her expression, but her face was buried into his shoulder.

Arbil's heart was beating at a pace that resembled a hummingbird trapped in a birdcage. She ducked her head in his shoulder to hide her red face. She didn't understand why she suddenly hugged him. It was a sudden impulse that she followed. The hybrid found that she didn't find this strange at all.

Crimson opened his mouth to ask what Arbil was doing, but she beat him to it.

"I missed you," she softly spoke. Her face grew redder at her declaration. "So much. I never felt the same without you by my side."

Crimson's breath hitched. His throat closed, inhibiting his ability to speak a single word. Once he got over the initial shock, he relaxed his posture and wrapped his arms around Arbil's waist. He brought her close to his chest, her body neatly folding against him. He covered her with his wings, encasing her in a safe, feathery cocoon.

Arbil hummed contently as her friend's warmth seeped into her skin. He always did that when she needed comfort of any kind.

"I missed you too," he whispered into her hair. "I never stopped thinking about you since you left."

Arbil's smile turned bashful. She gave him one final squeeze then released him. He let go of her reluctantly, removing his wings. The hybrid didn't move away though. She placed her head on his shoulder and snuggled into the crook of his neck. Crimson grinned broadly and rested his head on top of Arbil's. He draped his wing around her, bringing her closer.

Crimson relished in her soothing warmth. However, there was a small nagging prod at the back of his head that was bugging him. The description of Arbil's caretaker bubbled to the surface and a scowl formed on his lips. He didn't like her much for abandoning Arbil, but she had the right to know she was possibly alive.

The Darkened angel exhaled loudly. "Arbil, can I tell you something?" he asked softly.

His friend hummed for him to go on.

He audibly gulped. "When I met Hikari, she was alone but she told me that someone was watching over her. I never saw the person's face but Hikari gave me a description."

He paused for a moment. Arbil tilted her head up, her eyes curious with his next words.

Crimson liked his lips. "Hikari said the person was a demoness with a scythe-tipped tail and red-veined bat wings. I wasn't entirely sure if it was your caretaker, but Hikari confirmed for me it was her when she said she saw a crystal ball on the person. It's possible that person was your caretaker."

Crimson felt Arbil grow rigid against him. She was completely silent, the only sound coming from her was her breathing.

The hybrid loosened her tense body. "Thank you for telling me, Crimson. It must have been hard on you to tell me. I know you didn't like her much."

Crimson huffed. "She did abandon you for no reason when you could barely defend yourself."

He was going to add that Arbil's caretaker wasn't a great guardian also, but what parent was in their world? His parents beat him up once when they discovered that he was hanging out with Arbil when he was a child.

The hybrid let out a light chuckle. "I'm sure she has her reasons. I'm just happy she's still alive."

Crimson frowned at his friend with confusion. "I don't understand. After all these years, you still care for her. How can still love the person who left you?"

"I was upset at first," Arbil explained calmly, "but in the end, she did save me. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for her."

His heart nearly stopped when she shot him a beaming smile. "Besides, I still have you, don't I?"

Crimson's senses became hyper sensitive. Her vanilla and cinnamon scent wafted to his nose, her silver-streaked hair glowed like starlight. Her warm breath tickled his neck. The urge to kiss his friend right there was overwhelming, but he quelled it. Arbil's lips were so tantalizingly close, so Crimson did the rational thing and turned his head away. It was so frustrating that she had no idea what she did to him.

His cheeks blossomed red. "Yeah, I suppose."

Arbil giggled and settled her head into the crook of his neck again.

A tranquil hush fell around them. They didn't say anything more, just sitting in comfortable silence.

Crimson was gazing up at the moon when he felt Arbil's weight lean on him heavily. He looked down and saw her eyes closed, light snores coming from her mouth. A smile pulled at his lips. He didn't expect her to sleep on him but he didn't mind.

He carefully shifted his body to scoop Arbil into his arms. She stirred but settled against his chest. He grinned and started walking back to the castle. It would've been faster to fly there, but he didn't want to wake her up.

He knew it was a long walk to the castle, so he used the warp slate in the village to get to the main floor of the castle. When they were inside, Arbil shivered and curled in closer to Crimson but remained asleep. He decided to take the stairs this time to reach her room. He wasn't slowed down with his package; Arbil was as light as a feather.

The Darkened angel managed to open her bedroom door with one hand and stepped inside, closing the door with his foot. He gently laid her down on the bed and was about to move away until Arbil moved. She whined quietly and her grip tightened on his vest, not wanting to let him go.

Crimson chuckled at her unconscious cuteness. _Guess I'm not going anywhere._

He picked her up again and placed her more on the center of the bed. Crimson laid next to her, their bodies pressing together. Arbil murmured something under her breath and cuddled into him. He bit his tongue to hold in his laughter.

A yawn escaped his mouth, his eyes blinking drowsily. Seeing her sleeping face made him tired. He lazily stroked her long locks, her steady breathing lulling him into a deep slumber.

* * *

 **Thank you all for your support! The next chapter should be shorter, so the update will be faster. Just be patient. Thanks again and review please!**


	17. Training Day

**Hey everybody! So sorry about not updating. School quickly caught up to me and by the end of the first week, I already had tons of schoolwork. It sucks. Anyway, here is the next chapter that all of you have been waiting for!**

* * *

A warm presence slowly woke Arbil from the comforting darkness that was sleep. She groaned, wanting to stay under for longer. She didn't know why with an unknown body lying next to her, but she found it comforting and wanted to stick close to it.

Unfortunately, her brain was sparking into wakefulness so her body followed. Her throat rumbled in discomfort but she obeyed and opened her eyes. As her vision focused, all she saw was a toned and muscled chest. Arbil's eyebrows scrunched in confusion then she tilted her chin up. She was greeted by Crimson's smiling face.

His grin widened when he saw that Arbil was awake. Crimson's eyes glinted with mischievousness. "Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Arbil finally took notice of her position. She was curled up real close to Crimson, her hands pressed against his broad chest, his arms secured around her. They were cuddling one another on her bed.

In her bedroom.

Just the two of them.

A bright red blush swiftly colored her face and she jolted up in embarrassment, removing herself from Crimson.

Arbil stammered profusely. "W-what are you- how- why-"

Crimson chuckled, Arbil's stuttering endearing to him. Before he could answer, the door opened without any warning. The two of them looked up and saw Wodahs standing there, staring at them with his blank expression. The atmosphere grew silent as all of them just stayed still, waiting for someone to react first.

It was Wodahs who spoke first. "Sorry to interrupt your intimate time together, but breakfast is ready," he said casually.

Crimson didn't react at all, but Arbil's blush spread further, coating her whole face and neck.

She held up her hands defensively, waving them frantically. "Wait Wodahs! It's- it's not what it looks like!"

The head angel simply blinked then left, closing the door behind him.

Arbil groaned, her entire face burning. "We weren't doing a single thing," she mumbled tiredly.

Her friend only laughed at her expense, not at all discomforted by the recent event. Arbil pouted at him, making him laugh even harder.

She gave up and sighed in defeat. "Why are you in my bed anyway, Crimson?"

He took in a breath to stop his laughter. "Last night, you fell asleep so I carried you to your bedroom. But you wouldn't let go of me, so I decided to stay."

Arbil's blush was slowly going away but it came back full force when he mentioned she held onto him. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to refute but couldn't come up with a plausible reason.

She eventually growled in exasperation, frustrated at herself. "Whatever, I'm going to take a shower."

Arbil crawled over Crimson, jumped off the bed, and strutted to the bathroom, slamming the door. He chuckled, staring after her figure. He sat up and stretched his arms above his head, extending his wings to full length. He crawled off the bed and left to go to his own room, planning to wake Hikari up as well.

After they ate breakfast with Etihw and Kcalb, they left to gather Yosafire and her crew. It was the weekend so they were free from school. Crimson wanted to grab more people but thought it unwise to scare them and increase the knowledge of the otherworldly demons.

"Aren't there stronger people we can gather that can keep the invasion of the demons a secret?" Crimson asked Arbil while standing in a small clearing inApple Woods.

The hybrid sent him a confident grin. "The girls and we are all that we need in order to beat the demons, trust me Crimson."

Arbil waved her hand over the girls. "When the Flame Underworld demons arrived in this world, Yosafire and her friends went up against their most powerful demons and Devil, and won."

Crimson's eyes widened at the news. "Really? These young girls fought against a Devil and succeeded?"

"Yep," Yosafire exclaimed proudly then rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. "Although, we didn't do all the work. Old man Kcalb did something to make Ivlis weaker."

The red-eyed angel hummed, gaining more respect for the younger girls. "All right, Arbil. If you trust them, then I believe you."

He turned to everyone. "Okay everybody! Separate off into pairs and perform combat training with your magic. We'll take a break in an hour. Hikari, you stay with Arbil and me."

The group nodded and broke off to the corners of the clearing. Arbil stared at her friend in slight shock.

"Wait, is Hikari going to fight with us?" she asked him.

"Yes," he replied casually as if a child fighting was a common thing. "You've seen her magic before."

"Only one time. Plus, she's too young. Hikari is only six years old!"

"She is very capable at battling," Crimson said while the child puffed out her chest. "Her light magic takes the form of celestial bodies. Also, she beat up a demon from our world on her own."

Arbil still looked skeptical. She was worried about Hikari fighting at a young age because it reminded of her when she started fighting. Her caretaker practically taught her how to fight against monsters as soon as she learned how to walk. Arbil didn't want any more children to go through that experience.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a tug on her skirt. She looked down and saw Hikari staring up at her with her big, blue orbs.

"It's okay mommy," the angel child said. "I want to be of use to you and daddy and everybody else in this world. After taking us in, it's only fair that I repay them by defending their home. So please, let me train with you and daddy."

Arbil glanced away from Hikari's watery eyes and groaned loudly, but she finally relented.

She sighed. "I still don't like this, but I'll allow it."

Crimson grinned, satisfied that Arbil agreed. He didn't favor the idea either but they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Little star, why don't you observe Arbil and me first so you can learn a few combat moves?" Crimson ordered Hikari, gently pushing her out of the way.

"Okay!" Hikari dashed to the side and sat cross-legged on the ground with an excited expression.

Arbil dexterously twirled her double-headed spear between her fingers. "This will be the perfect opportunity to see what Etihw and Kcalb did to my weapon."

"So, I'm your guinea pig?" Crimson snickered, taking out his weapon as well.

Arbil smirked. "I know you can handle anything anyone dishes out."

The Darkened angel grinned back and lunged to Arbil, getting straight into the mock battle. She was prepared as she stopped twirling her spear and raised it in front of her, blocking Crimson's attack easily. She managed to shove him away and sliced her blade through the air, creating a white, curved energy attack.

"Slice of Life!"

Crimson barely dodged it, not expecting that. While he was momentarily stunned from the unexpected attack, Arbil stuck the other end into the dirt, black spikes erupting upwards.

"Dark Spikes!"

The Darkened angel snapped out of it and stretched his wings in a big swoop to get airborne. Arbil chased after him and they continued fighting in the air. They returned to the ground, just combating with their weapons.

As they fought, Crimson steadily grew mesmerized by Arbil's movements. She gracefully moved her body as if she was dancing. Her hair flowed with her beautifully along with her long skirt. He got distracted for a second, giving Arbil the opening to knock him down by sweeping her spear under his feet.

Crimson fell back with a thud, Arbil holding the point of her spear close to his throat. She stood over him with a triumphant grin.

"Looks like I win."

He huffed as his friend held out her hand to him. "You got lucky. Besides, I was the one who taught you how to fight with a weapon in the first place."

Again, a flash of something skimmed the edge of Crimson's mind when he stated that. A quick vision of him and Arbil at a moderately young age in a beautiful courtyard, with him teaching Arbil how to utilize her double-headed spear for the first time. He blinked and it was gone as if it wasn't there at all. He shook his head and reached for Arbil's hand that was still outstretched to him.

 _There goes another vision come and gone,_ he mentally sighed. _Again, why am I receiving them? I feel like I know them, but at the same time, not. Uh, this is so frustrating._

Hikari clapped. "That was really good, mommy! You fight so well!"

Arbil blushed at the compliment. "Aww, thank you Hikari."

Crimson rolled his shoulders, disregarding his vision for the time being. "Okay Hikari, you're next. We won't fight though. We'll work on your magic since it's amplified now with your star wand."

"Okay daddy!" Hikari responded as she hopped to her feet and ran to her father. Arbil walked to the side, plopping on the ground cross-legged.

"Alright, so I'm sure that you feel stronger, the flow of your magic coursing through you even brighter with the help of your wand," Crimson said to Hikari.

The child eagerly nodded. "Yep!"

"Great, so now your attacks will be different. The same amount of power that you used before will be amplified so you need to be careful. Let's start with your Milky Way Ribbon."

"Okay." Hikari held her star wand in front of her with two hands.

Crimson nodded at her starting position. "Okay, now channel your energy into your wand."

Hikari's brows furrowed in concentration, her wand glowing white. Suddenly, a whip of stars shot out of it, making her flinch back in surprise. It lashed around wildly, nearly striking Crimson but he deflected it with his sword easily.

The light child's hand flew to her mouth, guilt consuming her for almost hurting her father. "Oh daddy, I'm so so sorry! I didn't know that would happen!"

The Darkened angel only smiled at his daughter. "It's fine, little star. Nobody got hurt and that's what important. But that is why we are practicing now. Let's try again but this time, lower your input to what you wouldn't usually use."

Hikari got out of her shock and nodded her head determinedly. "Alright."

For the rest of the hour, Crimson trained Hikari in controlling her magic with compliments and corrections thrown in from time to time. The group then took a break then switched their partners and continued fighting each other until noon time.

Crimson clapped his hands to get everybody's attention. "Okay everyone, that's enough training for today. We'll resume tomorrow."

All the females gave out a collective groan and collapsed on the ground, muscles sore and magic nearly depleted. Crimson raised an eyebrow, perplexed.

"I didn't push all of you guys too hard, did I?" he asked, sounding concerned.

Macarona tiredly lifted her head. "We're just not used to fighting each other or for so long."

Crimson chuckled nervously. "Sorry. I should've been easier on you girls."

"It's fine," Froze replied. "We've been through worse."

The mixed group strolled back to Gray Village once they've rested properly. Arbil squinted her eyes when she saw the villagers gathered at the center of the village.

"I wonder why everybody is at the center," Arbil asked aloud.

Crimson hummed thoughtfully. "Hopefully, not another person from our world."

As they approached the crowd, Arbil heard Grora shouting at a cloaked figure standing in the middle.

"You know, I'm sick and tired of you people dropping into our world," she angrily shouted at the person, hands on her hips. "Arbil and Crimson are fine, but now there are people coming to attack them and us. If you aren't going to say a single word, then you might as well return to your world."

Arbil and Crimson squeezed through the crowd toward Grora. "Hey Grora, what's going on?" asked the hybrid.

The eye-patched angel turned to her, her gaze softening when they landed on Arbil. "This person just showed up out of nowhere and refuses to say a word to me. She said she only wants to talk to you."

Crimson stood closer to Arbil protectively, his body tense. Her eyes widened a bit in curiosity. "Why me?"

At her response, the figure snapped her fingers and her cloak disappeared, revealing her true form. Crimson and Arbil gasped sharply as they instantly recognized the person's face with Arbil expressing her surprise more. Her breath caught in her throat and her brain stopped functioning, all of her senses focused on the woman in front of her.

The woman wore a white gypsy outfit that revealed most of her skin, leaving little to the imagination. She had a tight strapless top that showed her midriff and a long, flowy skirt that was cut open on both sides up to her thighs. Gold bracelets on her wrists connected to the ones on her arms by a long piece of cloth. A loose diaphanous silk stitched with gold wrapped around her waist. Golden sandals completed the look.

What really captured Crimson and Arbil's attention were the woman's red-veined bat wings, twisted black horns, and furry scythe-tipped tail.

Hikari stepped forward with a wide grin. She tugged on Crimson's pants excitedly. "That's her daddy! That's the demoness who took care of me before I found you."

The demoness sent a quick, small smile to the child before moving her gaze back to Arbil who had yet to say anything.

"Hello Arbil," the woman greeted casually with a soft voice. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" She dipped her chin at Crimson. "Nice to see you again too, Crimson."

He didn't say anything, only narrowing his eyes at her, his anger flaring inside.

Grora twisted her head back and forth between her friends and the stranger. "Wait, you guys know her?"

"Indeed, they do," the woman replied before the young adults. "I'm Delphi, Arbil's caretaker."

Arbil finally snapped out of her stupor, her brain fiercely memorizing her caretaker's name after not knowing it for so long. She took a shaky step forward. Crimson clenched his hand tightly as he wanted to grab his friend's shoulder and prevent her from getting any closer to Delphi.

"Where…" the hybrid stammered. "Where have you been all this time? You left me nearly 200 years ago."

Arbil grew slightly surprised when Delphi's expression shifted to guilt. Arbil never thought that her caretaker could display any other emotions other than annoyance and boredom.

"I'm truly sorry for leaving you at a very young age Arbil," Delphi explained. "It was necessary at the time because I saw future events that didn't involve me through my crystal ball." She gestured to her staff. "I had to leave so you could grow and choose your path."

Delphi's long, pointy ears lowered. "I regret abandoning you so early and not being a better mother to you, but I've watched you every step of the way. I hope you can forgive me someday."

Arbil ran to her caretaker in the small space between them, and encircled her arms around Delphi in a tight embrace. She nearly fell back but caught herself. The demoness reciprocated the gesture when Arbil started sobbing on her shoulder.

"I forgive you," Arbil cried. "You're here now and I'm glad that you're still alive."

Crimson released his anger towards Delphi when she spoke with sincerity about abandoning Arbil. Also, his friend was obviously very happy seeing her motherly figure again, so he couldn't stay mad.

"Why are you here, Delphi?" Crimson questioned. "Is there a reason why you have come to the Gray Garden?"

"Yes," the woman responded, releasing Arbil. She raised her voice for everybody to hear. "Initially, Revlis was going to send a small group of demons after you two, but now he plans to destroy this world by sending everyone, including his Darkened angels."

Everyone gasped simultaneously and the crowd murmured in worry, frightened about their world being attacked again. Arbil's stomach dropped instantly, guilt shooting through her entire being more than before.

"Then we've already lost," the hybrid mumbled quietly. "There's no way we can win against the Darkened angels."

A hand rested on Arbil's shoulder. She looked up and saw her mother giving her a reassuring grin.

"Do not worry everyone," Delphi raised her voice over the commotion, successfully quelling the villagers' mumbling. "I weakened all of the Darkened angels and Revlis, so you are on equal grounds, but a battle is still imminent."

"Then we better prepare for it."

The crowd parted to allow Etihw and Kcalb to walk to the middle of the circle. Etihw shot Delphi a welcoming grin.

"Kcalb and I heard everything you foretold and are very grateful for the warning and assistance." The God turned to her people. "Every person is free to either evacuate to the castle for safety or train for the upcoming battle. You will not be judged for the choice you choose."

Some people looked hesitant, but most of the villagers took a determined step forward. Etihw nodded, proud of her people's courage. "This time, we will not fall so easily."

Everybody roared a battle cry, pumped up. Arbil nearly cried tears of joy again but held them back. Sensing Arbil's emotion, Eti turned to the hybrid and winked at her.

"See Arbil? Everyone wants to protect our home, but they also want to protect you. You hold a special place in each person's heart and we won't let you go without a fight."

Arbil grinned brightly, a light pink blush dotting her cheeks at the fierce loyalty of the Gray Garden people towards her. She just hoped that the loyalty didn't cause them to lose their lives.

* * *

 **And that's it for now! The next few chapters will be fillers as we build up to the epic battle. Hopefully, I'll be able to update them faster but not at the moment because I have several upcoming exams, so all of you have to wait a bit longer.**

 **Thanks for sticking by me this entire time even though I don't update often. Review please!**


	18. Flight Training

**Hey everybody! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Busy with school as usual, but now I am done with final exams! Thank you all for your patience. Here is your reward, the next chapter of this wonderful story!**

 **P.S If you guys didn't know, Delphi was an ancient Greek oracle who was able to see prophecies, so that is why I named Delphi that since she possesses psychic powers. In case some of you guys didn't know.**

 **I do not own Gray Garden and its characters. Only my OCs.**

* * *

The sun beat down on Arbil and Rawberry as they strolled to the bat cave at the back of Apple Park. Arbil wanted to visit her mother Delphi and Rawberry tagged along to eat the bats. Etihw offered a place for Delphi in BlancBlack Castle, but the demoness politely declined and decided to reside somewhere else, and she picked a bat cave. It seemed that the demoness wanted to remain in solitude just like she did in Desolate Wasteland.

They entered the cave and were swallowed by the darkness. Their eyes quickly adjusted and they continued walking. Black bats hung upside down from the ceiling, red eyes gleaming. The sound of dripping water echoed throughout the maze-like cavern.

Rawberry and Arbil saw a light source ahead and approached it. They came upon a chamber with scattered furniture: a bed, a small desk with a couple of chairs, and a desk lamp that was giving off the light. Delphi was currently sitting on one of the chairs, reading a novel. Her staff leaned against the cave wall.

The demoness looked up from her book and a small smile graced her lips. "Hello Arbil," Delphi greeted. "And I see that you brought a friend."

Rawberry shot her hand up in greeting, a big fanged grin plastered in her face. "Hello, Arbil's mom! I just wanted to say a quick hello before I munch on a few bats." She turned to Arbil. "Come get me when you're done."

"All right," Arbil responded as the pink demon ran off.

She entered the chamber and sat on the other chair across from Delphi. The demoness bookmarked her page and set down her book, all of her attention on her daughter.

Delphi reached out her hands to touch Arbil's face with tender eyes. "I've seen you through my crystal ball, but it's entirely different seeing you in person." Her eyes glistened with pride as her fingers stroked Arbil's cheeks. "You've grown into a beautiful and wonderful woman. Again, I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you grow."

Arbil's eyes sparkled with tears but she blinked them away. "It's fine. I'm happy that you're here now, though your change in personality is kind of off-putting."

Delphi chuckled as she removed her hands. "Yes, I noticed myself and it's scary to be honest. I suppose it's this world's positive energy affecting me. So, how have you been, my dear? Tell me everything that happened since I left."

"Well, nothing much," Arbil said, tugging on her braid. "Ever since your departure, Crimson stuck to me like glue, providing for me and comforting me."

The hybrid's tone shifted to a more somber sound. "I had a couple of bumps on the road, but Crimson helped me through them before anything could happen." Her wings twitched in emphasis.

Delphi hummed as the memory resurfaced in her mind. "Hmmm, I remember seeing that through my crystal ball." Her own wings twitched unconsciously in sympathy.

"Enough about me," Arbil quickly changed the subject. "What have you been doing?"

"Oh, just wandering the wilderness, observing you using my psychic powers," answered Delphi jokingly.

Arbil laughed along then stopped. A question burned at the back of her mind and she gathered her courage to ask her. "Caretaker-"

"You may call me mother, Arbil." Delphi interrupted.

The hybrid scoffed. "You used to hit me whenever I tried to call you that."

"That's because I didn't want you to become attached to me at the time."

"Okay. So Mother, can you tell me about my past?" Arbil clenched her skirt tightly. "There is a huge gap in my memory, and I want to know if you can tell me what happened."

Arbil realized that a few weeks ago, she told Etihw that she was content not knowing her past, but since her mother watched her and most definitely knew what occurred, she was going to take the opportunity now.

The hybrid was hopeful but it turned to despair when Delphi shook her head. "I do know what transpired, but I can't tell you. You must remember on your own."

Arbil sighed. "All right, I understand."

Seeing her daughter's sad face, Delphi decided to divulge a little bit of information. "I'll tell you this much, Arbil. Your past has to do something with your name."

"My name?" Arbil repeated, confused.

Delphi nodded. "Yes, I named you Arbil because it's backwards for Libra. Just something to think on."

The hybrid's eyebrows knitted together. She recalled seeing Libra in a book but couldn't remember exact facts about it; just that it was one of the twelve Zodiac. She shook it off and decided to think on it later.

"I have one more question to ask you, if you don't mind," asked Arbil timidly.

"You can ask me anything, my dear," Delphi replied.

"Did…" Arbil swallowed before speaking again. "Did you raise me and helped Hikari only because your visions showed you and thus forced you to?"

The demoness sighed and crossed her legs. "As a person with psychic powers, it's my responsibility to ensure that the future goes smoothly or else things will descend into chaos. So admittedly, yes, I raised you because I had to, and I was afraid of that. I've never been married or had a child of my own, so I was worried about raising you with no experience and messing up the future."

Delphi smiled. "But I quickly learned over time and I've come to love you of my own volition, though I rarely showed it. The same with Hikari as well. My powers showed me that she was going to meet Crimson, so I made sure she stayed alive until his arrival. However, she reminded me of you in so many ways, so I brought her food and water and killed any monsters that would have attacked her."

Arbil smiled brightly and her heart fluttered, knowing now that her adoptive mother truly loved her. She stood up with a groan, stretching her limbs. "Well, I must return to the village. Crimson is going to teach Hikari how to fly."

Delphi chuckled. "I remember your first flying lessons clearly. That was a lot of fun teaching you."

Arbil flustered, reminded of her mishaps. "Hopefully, Hikari's goes more smoothly."

She hugged her mom. "It was nice seeing and talking to you again, Mother."

"You too, my dear," Delphi hugged her back.

They separated, Arbil leaving to get Rawberry then returning to the village together.

* * *

Crimson told Yosafire and her friends that they could take the day off, so it was just him, Hikari, and Arbil for the day. He set the day aside to teach his daughter how to fly since she was of age. Arbil sat cross-legged on the grass while Crimson and Hikari stood facing each other.

"All right, little star. Since you're six years old, it's time for you to fly. Are you excited?"

Hikari eagerly bobbed her head, her tiny wings fluttering erratically. "Yeah, I'm excited! I'm so ready! Let's do it!"

Crimson laughed, his daughter's enthusiasm contagious. This scene reminded him so much of when he and Delphi taught Arbil how to fly for the first time.

"Okay, before you actually start flying, let's begin with getting airborne. Extend your wings and flap them in a circular motion." Crimson demonstrated by stretching his wings to full length and flapped them in a big swoop, immediately airborne.

Hikari furiously flapped her wings, but after five seconds she stopped and panted. "I can't even lift myself off the ground. I didn't know I was heavy."

"You're not heavy, little star," Crimson said, landing back on the ground. "It'll take a little time for your wings to adjust to your weight."

She nodded in understanding and made another attempt. At the tenth try, Hikari managed to lift her feet by a couple of centimeters then fell to the ground on her butt.

At her pouty face, Crimson shot her a reassuring smile. "That was very good, Hikari. You managed to get yourself airborne for a second. With more practice, you'll be flying in no time."

The child hopped to her feet. "But the invasion is in less than a month and it takes longer than that to master flying. I'm not going to be able to learn in time."

She sniffled, tears nearly falling from her eyes. Crimson looked a bit helpless so Arbil decided to step in.

The hybrid got up and placed a hand on Hikari's shoulder then kneeled down to her height. A soft smile stretched on her lips. "Don't be upset, Hikari. I know you can do it."

The light angel wiped her eyes with her arm and looked at her mother. "You really think so?"

Arbil nodded. "Of course. You're already making a faster progress than I did when I was your age."

Hikari twisted her body to Arbil with an astonished look and a bit of disbelief. "Really? You're lying, mommy."

Arbil laughed. "No, it's the truth. I know I fly effortlessly now, but I couldn't fly very well when I started because of my mismatched wings. I couldn't even lift myself off the ground for the first two weeks I started. It took me a month just to get airborne when it normally takes others a few days. In total, it took me an extra two years to fly. Ask your father, he's the one who taught me, along with my mother."

Crimson's heart sped up when Arbil referred to him as "father", but he answered coolly. "It's true."

"So, I know you can do a lot better than me," Arbil stated to Hikari.

The child nodded with renewed determination. She also felt guilty that she was complaining when her mother had a very difficult time. When Arbil moved away, the little girl tried many times and made excellent progress in a span of an hour. She couldn't fly yet, but at least she could levitate for ten seconds.

"Okay Hikari, great job," Crimson complimented. "Let's take a small break then we'll resume later."

"Okay." She landed on the ground, stumbling a bit before righting herself.

All of them decided to rest in Apple Park. Arbil mentioned that she wanted to grab something from her room so Crimson and Hikari went ahead. Hikari picked apples from the ground and ate a couple as a snack. The Darkened angel laid on a branch in an apple tree, his eyes contently closed, until he heard familiar wing flaps. He opened one eye then the other when he saw the object in Arbil's hands.

He sat up with a grin. "You have a lyre," he said as a statement. Memories flooded his mind of the times when Arbil loved playing the lyre that Delphi made her, and her beautiful, melodic voice that accompanied the music.

Arbil lightly blushed when Crimson recalled the instrument. "Yes. Etihw allowed me to have it when I found it in the music room. I thought you'd like to hear me play."

"I'd love to," Crimson responded with a sultry undertone.

Arbil blushed redder then forced herself to move to a branch and made herself comfortable. She leaned her back against the tree trunk, laying on a tree limb across from Crimson. Her fingers picked at a couple of strings then they danced flawlessly on the lyre. After playing music for the first fifteen seconds, Arbil added her voice to the melody.

Crimson hummed softly, his whole body sagging when Arbil started singing. He closed his eyes and shut his mind of everything except for Arbil. He recognized the song, the one that Arbil played and sung back in their world when they were kids.

The Darkened angel won't exaggerate when he says that his secret love had an angelic voice. Arbil's voice, to him at least, was more angelic than an angel's, even with demon blood flowing in her. Crimson allowed himself to relax completely, almost to the point of falling asleep. He noticed that she changed a few lyrics and added a few notes, but didn't mind. It was much better than the original.

Hikari listened intently as well while munching on apples.

Arbil ended her piece with a lasting note ringing through the air. Crimson and Hikari applauded loudly.

"That was so beautiful, mommy!" Hikari complimented happily. "I didn't know you played an instrument. Can you teach me how to play?"

Arbil blushed brightly. "Of course sweetheart, but I think you'd do better playing the violin."

"It seems that you haven't lost your touch after all these years," said Crimson with a small smirk.

Arbil smiled back. "I had time to practice."

Crimson stretched his limbs, sighing in relief when his bones cracked. "Okay little star, are you ready to start your training again?"

Hikari hopped to her feet. "Yeah!"

* * *

 **And that's it for now! The next chapter is going to be another filler, then we will be heading to the climax. I am so excited to write it and show it to you all since I've been planning it for months. Have a nice day!**

 **Review please!**


	19. Feelings of Love

**Hey everybody! Sorry that it took me so long to update. School as usual got in the way, and I had to make some drastic changes to this chapter. I had one idea then I decided to change it to have some character development and now it sounds way better than it was originally. Anyway, thanks for your patience and continuing support! Enjoy!**

 **P.S The word** _ **Mythics**_ **is a word I came up with. It means the angel and demon races. I thought it would be weird to keep calling them people when they aren't.**

* * *

It was a beautiful day in the Gray Garden as usual. After a week of training and teaching Hikari how to fly, Crimson decided to take a break. The girls were somewhere doing their own thing.

He was walking down the castle's corridor, contemplating on whether to take a nap or hang out with the girls when he heard laughter. He immediately recognized it as Arbil's bell-like laugh and approached an open window. Crimson gazed outside and spotted Arbil and Hikari with Yosafire and her friends playing in the flower garden beside the castle.

A soft and loving grin stretched on his lips when Arbil smiled. Even if it wasn't directed at him, it always made butterflies flutter in his stomach.

The Darkened angel was so captivated by Arbil's radiance, he didn't notice Etihw creeping up behind him.

"Crimson," she called out softly.

It still startled him and he spun around quickly to see her.

He sighed, placing his hand over his heart. "Oh, Lady Etihw. I didn't hear you coming."

The God chuckled. "Please Crimson. I keep telling you to just call me Etihw. No need for the title." She scooted closer to him. "So, what are you doing?"

Crimson's face heated up, a nervous sweatdrop forming on his cheek. He stood up rigid with an innocent look. "Nothing, nothing at all."

Etihw sent a knowing grin at him. "Are you sure you weren't spying on Arbil with a dopey look on your face?"

Crimson's blush turned redder and he swiftly twisted to the window to let the brisk breeze cool his cheeks. "Maybe," he drawled out.

"You know, I can totally hook you up with Arbil if you want me to," Eti suggested, a mischievous glint in her gray eyes.

The Darkened angel nervously chuckled. "Thanks for the offer Etihw, but I'll have to pass. Kcalb warned me to watch out for you when it comes to stuff like that."

She huffed, her cheeks puffed out. "Kcalb," she mumbled. "Always ruining my fun."

Etihw turned serious when she saw Crimson staring at Arbil again. "Crimson," she spoke with a motherly tone, "why haven't you confessed your feelings to Arbil yet? I can obviously see that you love her more than a friend. Also, I believe she was feelings for you too."

Crimson's heart felt light when the God said that Arbil might have feelings for him, but he crushed that hope instantly.

He smiled sadly. "I would like to think so too, but Arbil acts like that with everybody."

He sighed, his wings drooping a bit. "Don't get me wrong, Etihw. I want to be in a more intimate relationship with Arbil, but I don't want to ruin our friendship since I'm her only best friend. I'm fine just being in her presence."

"Yes, but for how long?" Etihw questioned.

She gently placed her hand on his back. Crimson felt an instant calm wash over him, his body relaxing at her touch. Etihw emanated a certain aura that was so comforting that he couldn't help but completely drop his defenses. This should have frightened him but he didn't care. This was a feeling that a proper mother should have and he embraced it.

"Crimson, listen to me," said Eti. "I consider everybody to be my children in this world. Though you haven't been here long, I already think of you as my son. And in addition, Hikari as my granddaughter," she added the last part with a hint of pride. "Point is, I just want to see you and Arbil happy together."

When he didn't respond, the God continued. "When the Flame Underworld demons attacked my world, I was terrified."

Crimson's eyes widened as he twisted his head to Etihw. "You were terrified? But you're a powerful God."

"It wasn't so much of me being scared for my sake. Seeing my world and people nearly gone and almost losing Kcalb made me realize that although we are Mythics and can live forever, we can still die with enough sustained damage. All of this makes me cherish everything with my entire being."

Her hand slid off Crimson's back. "I'll let you and Arbil figure out your feelings on your own."

She walked away, Crimson thinking their conversation was over until Etihw yelled something over her shoulder.

"But you should make your move soon, Crimson, before it's too late."

He mulled over the God's words. He understood what she meant. The battle was catching up quick and who knew what the future held. He could ask Delphi but he had a feeling she wasn't going to tell him.

He gazed at Arbil's figure again. _Maybe I should take Etihw's advice._

* * *

Arbil laughed as she swiftly dodged Hikari who practically hurled herself to her mother. The light angel giggled then went after Yosafire, the fire demon laughing as she flew away from Hikari.

The girls were playing tag in the air as a training exercise to improve Hikari's flying. She mastered flight in a week and a half, surprising Crimson and Arbil with her speedy progress but they were very proud of their daughter. Now, Hikari joyfully zipped through the air, her feet barley touching the ground anymore.

Arbil watched as her daughter pursued Macarona. Yosafire approached the hybrid. "Hey Arbil, how come you're not with Crimson? I mean, not that we all don't want you around, but you're always with him."

Arbil had a confused look when Yosafire said that. "Am I?"

She thought back to the times she hung around Crimson since his arrival. She realized that they've been with each other every waking moment. Arbil couldn't come up with a single thought of them ever being separated for so long except this one time.

The hybrid shrugged her shoulder. "Sure, we are best friends but that doesn't mean we are closely attached. I need some girl time, you know."

"That's true but why not be together since you two already act like a married couple?" asked Yosafire.

Arbil's eyes shot open and her entire face turned tomato red. "Yosafire!" she yelled, embarrassed. "What did I tell you about saying things like that?!"

The fire demon laughed at her hybrid friend's face. At Arbil's outburst, the other girls stopped playing tag and drew closer to them.

"What is Arbil yelling about this time?" Froze asked.

"Nothing!" Arbil madly shook her head. "Nothing you girls need to know about."

Of course, Yosafire told them anyway. "Arbil doesn't want to believe that she and Crimson act like a married couple."

Arbil felt her face getting hotter. "Because we are not!" she refuted hotly.

Dialo spoke up casually. "To be honest, you two actually do behave like a couple most of the time."

The others mumbled in agreement, Chelan nodding silently.

Before Arbil could further deny their claims, Hikari inserted her own comment. "I agree with my big sisters, mommy. You and daddy do allow me to call you my parents."

Arbil opened her mouth but nothing came out. She tried to think of something but not a single thing came to mind.

She floated to the ground. "W-well, yes we do, but we are just best friends and will stay that way."

The girls followed her lead. "But what about the stories you told us of you and Crimson when you were younger?" Macarona asked.

"Yeah, like how Crimson saved you from drowning by a water monster?" Yosafire brought up.

"And how he saved you from falling off a cliff?" Froze added.

"Also, how he practically moved in with you when Delphi left?" Dialo inserted.

"And my favorite one, when he rescued you from three giant man-eating wolves all on his own?" Macarona spoke dreamily.

Arbil smiled to herself as her friends recalled the times Crimson had been there for her. She blushed redder when she noticed that all she told the girls had Crimson involved somehow.

 _Geez, do I really just talk about Crimson all the time?_

"So basically," Yosafire said, pulling Arbil from her thoughts, "what we all are saying is that you and Crimson were practically husband and wife for your entire lives."

Arbil flushed, looking away. "Okay, you're right," she stated, finally conceding. "I think I do like Crimson. I mean, recently whenever I'm around him, my heart beats faster but I never considered it as romantic love."

At her next words, Arbil covered her face with her angel wing, slightly muffling her voice. "I don't think Crimson loves me that way anyway. What do I have to offer to him? I'm just a hybrid with no powers to defend myself. He deserves someone better."

The girls frowned as Arbil put herself down. They gazed at each other worriedly. Did Arbil really not see her self-worth?

Macarona stepped forward and gently pulled Arbil's wing down to see her face. "Arbil," she began softly, "Crimson obviously likes you for your kind personality and natural beauty. He would have left you sooner if he was concerned about what power you had or what you are."

Arbil thought about what Macarona said. She was correct; Crimson had many chances to leave her or even let her be killed, but he didn't.

"Do you all really believe that Crimson likes me," the hybrid asked shyly.

The girls nodded. "We can't say for sure," stated Yosafire, "but there is definitely something there."

* * *

Late that night, Crimson was walking through the castle's corridors again. He was still pondering on when would be the perfect time to confess his feelings to Arbil. He was so distracted that he didn't sense two people coming towards him.

"Crimson."

He looked up at the sound of a soft voice and found that it belonged to Arbil. She gracefully strut to him with a bright grin, Hikari hovering by her head. Crimson grinned at seeing his daughter having so much fun flying.

Hikari flew to her father and he caught her in his arms, her tiny arms wrapping around his neck. "Daddy!" she exclaimed happily. "I missed you all day!"

Crimson hugged her back and pulled her away to look at her face, his visage apologetic. "I'm sorry, little star. I needed some time to myself."

"What have you been up to all day?" Arbil asked her friend with a smirk. "Not having too much without me, are you?"

Crimson responded with his own flirtatious smirk. "Of course not. You're the best thing around here."

Arbil's cheeks dusted pink at the subtly seductive look Crimson sent her. She shyly averted her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Hikari and I were about to cook dinner," she managed to say. "You want to join us?"

Internally chuckling to himself and proud that he could make Arbil blush, the Darkened angel responded. "Sure. It's only fair since I abandoned you two the entire day."

He followed Arbil to the kitchen while still carrying Hikari. "When did you learn how to cook anyway, Arbil?"

"Wodahs taught me," she replied with a smile sent to him. "I picked up a few things when I helped him with his chores and whenever he had any free time."

A spark of jealousy flashed across Crimson's face but he hid it before Arbil could interpret what it was. He knew that he had no reason to hate Wodahs but he couldn't help the thought of Arbil being with another guy other than him. This just gave him more courage to tell her how he really felt.

For the next couple of hours, Arbil, Crimson, and Hikari cooked together with Arbil teaching them. The young adults kept eyeing each other before the other could see. Crimson once again was mesmerized by how elegantly Arbil moved around, cutting vegetables and adding spices. She also stole side glances toward him whenever he wasn't looking. Arbil helped Hikari bake chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Once the food and cookies were done, they all set up plates on a small dining table and got to eating. Crimson hummed as the flavors of the food assaulted his taste buds. He mentally commented to himself that on top of being a great mother, Arbil was also a great cook. She would make an excellent wife.

Hikari tried to snag a cookie before finishing her dinner but Crimson gently scolded her, stating she will ruin her appetite. The light angel pouted but obeyed, finishing her plate speedily then diving into the cookies.

She yawned loudly after all the food was eaten. Her head started nodding as she tried her hardest to stay awake.

Crimson chuckled at his daughter's sleepy face. "How about you put Hikari to bed and I clean up?"

Arbil looked at him with uncertainty. "Are you sure? I don't want to leave you to clean all of this on your own."

He nodded. "It's fine. You did all the work so I'll tidy up as a way to repay for the delicious meal."

Arbil flushed. "We all cooked the meal but thank you."

The hybrid scooped Hikari into her arms and carried her to her room. He room looked similar to Arbil's but more child-like. A small bookcase was partially filled with colorful picture books. The bedsheet was in a pink princess design and toys littered the ground. Hikari recently met Ater and Arbus and they gave her some of their toys and books since they were children themselves.

Arbil managed to get her daughter into her pajamas and brushed her teeth before tucking her into bed.

She kissed Hikari's forehead. "Good night, little star," Arbil spoke tenderly.

Hikari yawned again, closing her eyes. "Good night, mommy."

Arbil saw a music box on the bedside table and turned the knob, an angel figurine turning while a lullaby played. She quietly snuck to the door and gave one more glance to Hikari before closing the door.

Arbil looked up and saw Crimson leaning against the wall, patiently waiting for Arbil to finish putting Hikari to sleep.

"You're finished already?" she asked him.

He nodded. "Yep. I thought I should escort you back to your room."

Arbil giggled. All of their rooms were on the same floor and hallway, but she didn't mind, wanting to spend more time with Crimson. "What a gentleman."

The Darkened angel blushed lightly at her giggle then they walked side by side to her room. They purposefully took slower strides and walked close to each other, their hands and shoulders brushing.

Electricity coursed through Crimson's body at their close proximity. He felt his heart race in his chest, his pulse pounding in his ears. If felt too soon when they reached her bedroom door.

Before Arbil could touch the doorknob, Crimson blurted out. "Arbil, I need to tell you something."

She turned to him and looked at him with anticipation, a small glint of hope shining in her emerald green orbs. Crimson's throat closed up at seeing that look dig deep into his soul.

The Darkened angel swallowed, looking anywhere but Arbil, a blush decorating his cheeks. "I… I just wanted to say…"

Arbil leaned forward, waiting for her friend's next words.

"I… just wanted to say… umm… good night and sweet dreams," he hurriedly said, mentally smacking himself.

Arbil's face fell with disappointment but she masked it. "Oh. Well, good night to you as well," she said with a strained smile.

The hybrid entered the room and closed the door. Crimson groaned and actually smacked himself several times.

"Stupid, stupid," he repeatedly mumbled under his breath, retreating to his room.

Arbil leaned her back against the door, a sad expression etched on her face. She pressed her ear on the door when she heard Crimson calling himself stupid. Her frown shifted to a smile at his cuteness then she went to sleep, dreaming happy thoughts about her and Crimson together.

* * *

 **And that's the end of the fillers! The next chapters will be the climax so be prepared! The stories that the girls mentioned are stories that I was planning to put into a prequel of this story. In an earlier chapter, I said I was going to do a sequel, but later on I was thinking about adding a prequel to explain Arbil's past. Basically, I'm making a Gray Garden 2.0. Got a lot of work ahead of me.**

 **Review please!**


	20. The Battle Begins

**Hey everybody! I am so sorry for leaving this story hanging. I thought I would be able to get most of it done by the end of summer, but it wasn't in the cards. I had so much to do that was required of my time that I barely had time for my fanfictions. Unfortunately, I only have this chapter to give you guys for a while because school starts next Monday for me. Sorry again, but thank you all for your patience. Please enjoy.**

 **Dialo and Chelan never fought in the game, so I have no idea what their magic is and made them up.**

 **P.S Remember, the word** _ **Mythics**_ **is a word that I made up to refer to the beings of this universe since they aren't technically people.**

* * *

 _A month later…_

The time had finally come. Everybody who wanted to fight trained rigorously for weeks, becoming stronger and learning new moves. Using Delphi's psychic abilities, she was able to predict the exact time and place Revlis' forces would appear, which was the center of the village at noon.

The Mythics that chose not to fight would still play an important role in the upcoming battle. They would assist the fighters that would become injured and bring them to a barrier stronghold that Delphi would erect to heal wounds and restore magic power.

"Revlis will most likely send out a huge wave of fighters to overwhelm us," Crimson stated at the time of strategizing with Arbil, Hikari, Etihw, and Kcalb. "We need a powerful move that will take them out in one hit."

He then turned a proud smile to Hikari. "And that's where Hikari comes in with her new move."

Hikari nodded eagerly. For once, Arbil agreed with Hikari fighting. She witnessed her daughter's recently acquired move and Hikari would no doubt be able to take out lots of enemies.

Now, in present time, everybody was gathered at the center, weapons out. Hikari was high up in the sky above them, ready to initiate her attack when the first wave hit. Delphi set up the barrier halfway to BlancBlack Castle.

Arbil stood at the front with Crimson, Etihw, Kcalb, Grora, Wodahs, Yosafire and her friends. She gripped her double-headed staff tightly, anticipation flowing through her. She was still afraid that the Mythics who she had grown to cherish as her family would lose their lives today. And it wouldn't be just to protect their home. They were risking their lives to protect her as well. If a single person didn't make it, Arbil would never forgive herself.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Crimson giving her a reassuring look.

"Every single Mythic will survive this battle," he said. "Just have faith in them, Arbil."

She smiled in response. "Okay."

Etihw gazed up at the sky to assess the sun's position. "It's almost time." She spoke to Arbil. "Any last suggestions, Arbil?"

The hybrid had a thoughtful expression for a moment then turned to the Gray Garden citizens. "My people will not hesitate to kill you all. Despite that, please don't kill them. Just knock them out so they can't fight anymore. They don't know any better."

Etihw smirked. Despite the horrible life Arbil had in her world, she still wanted to spare the lives of the Mythics who did her wrong. Arbil truly was a good-hearted Mythic.

"Don't worry. We weren't planning on it. Killing isn't really our style."

Everyone murmured in agreement with their God.

The sun reached its zenith. Everyone held their breath, bodies tense. All of a sudden, a giant oval-shaped portal opened before everybody. On the other side, Desolate Wasteland was shown, the castle floating in the distance.

The next instant, a massive dark energy shot out of the portal and struck the ground in front of them. Crimson immediately grew alert and flew up into the air, dragging Arbil with him.

"Fly up, everyone!" he shouted. "This amount of dark energy will sap all of your strength, leaving you vulnerable!"

At his warning, everybody flew up just as the dark energy spread throughout the ground. All the greenery wilted and died, turning sickly gray. Even the sky turned gray. Heavy, dark clouds obscured the sun, plunging the world into near darkness. The Gray Garden transformed into the exact replica of Desolate Wasteland. Everyone gasped in shock, seeing their world change so drastically.

"What happened to our home?" Grora asked, still surprised as she landed.

"It seems they changed our world into theirs, much like the Flame Underworld did," responded Wodahs calmly. Although he remained composed, he was shocked as well.

"How were they able to do that?" Arbil asked Crimson. "And how come Mother wasn't able to see this coming?"

"I'm not sure myself how it was created," he answered, "but maybe this managed to somehow bypass Delphi's sight."

Etihw growled in anger. "I am not going to let the same thing happen to my world again!"

She was about to use her magic to return her world back to normal until Kcalb stopped her. "Eti, don't. You don't have time now to restore Gray Garden. We need to deal with them first."

Kcalb gestured with his chin to the portal. An influx of angels, demons, and Darkened angels poured out and headed straight for the Gray Garden citizens, killing intent blazing in their eyes.

"Hikari, now!" Crimson yelled.

Hikari waved her star wand. "Meteor Fall!"

Multiple meteors fell from the sky and clobbered the natives of Desolate Wasteland. When the dust cleared, every single one of the Wasteland citizens were beaten down. Still alive but defeated.

"Great job, Hikari!" Crimson complimented. "Now, attack the next wave!"

Hearing her father's order, Hikari gathered her magic just as the second wave came through the gate. She let loose another Meteor Fall and just as it was about to hit, a massive black hole appeared. It consumed most of the meteors but a few managed to escape its gravity and crashed into the Desolate Wasteland Mythics.

Hikari looked startled. "Where did that black hole come from?"

Her question was answered when she saw someone fly up to her. Someone with black wings and the same height as her.

"Nova!" Hikari said.

Hikari took a closer look at the small Darkened angel. Nova looked a little worn out. Her eyes were sunken in a bit and her hair was messed up. The light angel also noticed that Nova's magic aura was weaker. Her Black Hole should have been able to swallow all of her meteors but it didn't.

 _Oh that's right,_ Hikari thought. _Grandma Delphi weakened all of the Darkened angels' powers._

"We meet again Hikari," Nova greeted with her usual monotone voice. "Looks like it's just me and you again."

Hikari held her wand tightly. She was prepared to fight any opponent but she attempted a different tactic.

"We don't have to fight Nova," said Hikari. "We can stop right now or you can fight with us."

"Sorry, but I can't do that," Nova responded. "Revlis will kill me if he heard I switched sides." She took out not one, but two Chinese fans from her kimono sleeves and unfurled them. "It's just as it is right now."

Hikari sighed when she couldn't convince Nova to be an ally. She was disappointed too. She thought they could be great friends since they were the same age, but now wasn't the time.

"Fine," Hikari said, getting into a battle stance. "Then I'll give it my all."

Hikari dashed at Nova and she reacted in response, bolting towards Hikari. They clashed in the middle, Hikari's wand hitting against Nova's fans.

Meanwhile, on the ground, a war broke out. Multiple battles waged on with magic being thrown everywhere.

Arbil glanced up at the sky to see her daughter fighting someone. Her protective instincts kicked in. "Hikari!"

Arbil extended her wings to lift herself into the air until Crimson impeded her flight.

"Arbil, no!" he yelled while pushing back an angel. "I want to help Hikari as much as you want to, but you have to trust her. Focus on what's going on down here right now."

Arbil groaned in frustration but complied. Hikari possessed powerful magic so she was capable of defending herself. Arbil folded her wings and continued fighting while gazing at the battlefield.

So far, nobody on either side had died. Yosafire and Froze's magic looked beautiful when they worked together with fire and ice. Macarona, although timid, was able to knock out her opponents in powerful punches. Rawberry had a crazed, delighted expression as she took a bite out of every Wasteland Mythic that crossed her path. A few of them were actually frightened of her.

"I thought the angels and demons in Gray Garden were peaceful and sane," one demon commented as he backed away from Rawberry.

The pink demon snickered. "That's true, but not all of us are the same. This is who I am."

She dashed to the demon who then ran away from her.

Arbil shook her head with a fond smile. She saw Dialo fighting with various cookware and utensils. Arbil saw the red demon knock out someone with a frying pan.

 _Wait, where is Chelan,_ Arbil thought to herself.

The hybrid was pretty sure that she saw Chelan standing next to Dialo at the frontline. That meant that she was fighting somewhere. But Arbil was certain that she never saw Chelan fight during training. So, where was she?

Arbil then spotted the silent angel a few feet away from her. Numerous Desolate Wasteland Mythics jumped onto her. Arbil gasped and she tried to reach Chelan but there was too many people in the way.

"Chelan!" Arbil shouted in worry.

However, she had no need to worry. Chelan stood there calmly as she opened her mouth for the first time and sang a melodious lullaby. Her attackers stopped in their tracks and dropped like flies, currently sleeping soundly.

Arbil stared dumbfounded at the scene. She didn't believe Chelan had it in her.

The hybrid was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw something extend towards her out of the corner of her eye. She swiftly brought up her double-headed spear and blocked the attack using the shaft. Arbil, upon closer inspection, recognized the long, dark nails.

 _Oh no, it couldn't be,_ Arbil thought with fright.

And her suspicions were correct. The nails retracted then a Darkened angel landed in front of her. It was the same man who tried to kidnap her. He looked furious and more threatening with the slash marks over his eye.

"Do you recognize me, halfling?" the Darkened angel snarled.

Arbil got into a defensive stance, a frown on her lips. "Not you again! Why are you here?"

He smirked evilly. "Revlis decided to spare my life and gave me a second chance to take you out."

"Well, I'm not going down easily like last time," Arbil stated with determination.

She made the first move which surprised the man, giving Arbil the advantage.

"Slice of Life!"

Arbil slashed her spear through the air, creating white marks towards the man. They hit him, bringing him to the ground. After his initial shock, he growled, stood up, and retaliated. He fought relentlessly but Arbil managed to damage him.

Soon after, she slowly grew tired. Arbil had been fighting several enemies for a while but it seemed the Darkened angel just entered the battlefield with energy to spare. She left herself open for a moment which the man took advantage of. He kicked her side, shoving her to the floor. He attacked with his long nails to impale her.

Arbil closed her eyes, waiting for the excruciating pain but it never came. She peeled open one eye then opened both in awe. Wodahs stood protectively in front of her but it was his weapon that grabbed her attention. It was similar to hers, being double-headed, but the blades were three-prong and in the shape of diamonds. Grora landed beside him, her bow out.

Wodahs glanced over his shoulder to see Arbil's condition. "Apologies that we interrupted your battle, Arbil," the head angel stated. "It looked like you could use some help."

Arbil smiled. "No, I don't mind at all. You saved me."

The Darkened angel growled and retracted his nails. "Not you two again."

Grora smirked. "Why don't you take a break, Arbil? We've been meaning to take revenge on this guy for hurting her."

Arbil hated leaving her problems to her friends but she knew Wodahs and Grora could handle themselves. She nodded and tried to stand up but stumbled a bit. Crimson, who just defeated another opponent, quickly caught her.

"I got you," he said, slinging her arm over his shoulders.

Arbil smiled at him. "Thanks Crimson but I got it."

He looked skeptical but slowly let her go until she looked alright to stand on her own. "Come on. Let's go to Delphi's barrier to get healed."

Arbil agreed. They both flew away to restore their health and magic.

* * *

Etihw and Kcalb had been helping their people with their battles, but now they faced their first enemy together. It was a male Darkened angel wearing a red and black dragon print shirt and dark blue navy jeans. His raven black hair covered his right eye and several black bracelets dangled against his wrists. The feathers on his wings were long and glossy much like a raven's.

He bowed politely to them. "Greetings. I assume you are the God and Devil of this world. My name is Valravn and I shall be your opponent this dark afternoon."

Blobs of darkness formed around him, shifting until they took the shape of wolves. Their eyes glowed red and they snarled at Etihw and Kcalb, waiting for their master's order.

Valravn straightened up. "Attack them, my precious pets!"

The wolves ran to Etihw and Kcalb while foaming at the mouth.

Eti grinned. "At least he's polite about it."

She created her diamonds and they pierced some of the wolves. They dispersed into shadows but the few that remained attacked Kcalb. He formed a lasso out of his shadows and strangled one of the wolves. One managed to bypass it and bit into his shoulder. Kcalb shouted out in pain then pulled the canine off him, throwing it back to its master.

"Kcalb, are you alright?" Eti asked with concern.

"I'm okay," he said, holding his shoulder. "I just didn't expect it to hurt."

"Don't forget. Crimson said that this person's illusions are tangible. They are capable of harming us."

"Right."

They quickly disposed of all the shadow wolves. Valravn grinned. "Both of you fight so valiantly. I admire your efforts. How about you try your hand on a bigger creature?"

A massive shadow giant materialized in front of Etihw and Kcalb, holding a giant club.

"You ready, Kcalb?" Eti asked her Devil, a confident smirk on her lips.

He mirrored Eti's expression. "Ready."

* * *

Arbil and Crimson flew back to the battlefield. From an overhead view, most of the enemies were defeated. Etihw and Kcalb were fighting a shadow giant; Grora and Wodahs were still fighting the Darkened angel. Hikari was on the ground, Nova obviously beaten. Yosafire and her friends were sitting around as well, regaining their strength.

Yosafire looked up and waved to them as they landed. "Arbil! Crimson! How are you two feeling?"

"We're fine after the healers restored our health," Arbil responded as Hikari threw herself at Crimson, hugging him tightly.

"Is the fight almost over?" Macarona questioned in a soft voice.

"Unfortunately no," Crimson answered as he handed Hikari to Arbil. "We need to enter Desolate Wasteland and finish off the Mythics there and Revlis in order for this battle to be truly over."

"Would you girls like to join us in this final battle," Arbil asked. "We could use the help if you want to join us."

"We might as well finish this all the way," said Froze.

"I agree," Dialo chirped in. "We saved our world so now it's our turn to save yours."

Arbil smiled as warmth flowed through her from the compassion of her friends.

"Can I come too, mommy?" Hikari asked.

"No, not this time, little star," Crimson answered firmly.

"I agree with your father on this one, Hikari," Arbil said.

"Why not?" Hikari whined. "You know I can help."

"I know sweetheart and I don't doubt that," Crimson said while patting her head. "This time, however, it will be too dangerous for you. You'll be more help here, helping the Gray Garden members since your magic is more powerful."

Hikari pouted but understood her father's explanation. She just didn't like the idea of her parents being worlds apart from her, literally.

She nodded sadly. "Okay."

Arbil gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Hikari. We'll all return safely. Make sure to keep everybody here safe, all right?"

The little girl happily nodded. She may not be able to assist her parents and big sisters, but she will do her utmost best to make them proud.

Crimson smiled and hugged her. "That's my girl."

He set her down. Arbil looked to her friends and Crimson. They all dipped their heads to indicate that they were ready.

Arbil grinned. "All right everyone! Let's go!"

The group flew up into the air towards the portal. They passed through and landed at the outskirts of Desolate Metropolis.

"Woah, your world is so dreary-looking," Yosafire commented, taking in the sights. "How have you guys lived like this?"

Arbil shrugged her shoulders. "We survived more than lived."

"So, where do we go now?" Froze asked.

Crimson pointed to the floating castle. "Revlis and the rest of the Dark Brigade are most definitely in the castle. Once we take down Revlis, all of this will be over."

"There's no time to waste!" Arbil exclaimed. "Let's go and end this!"

Everyone took off, making their way to the castle while taking down anyone who got in their way.

* * *

 **And that's it for now. We finally reached the climax and it will only get better from there.**

 **If you guys didn't know, Valravn is the name of a supernatural raven from Danish folklore. They are created from ravens eating the deceased on battlefields. They can sometimes take the form of a half-raven, half-wolf creature. In the video game _Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice_ , Valravn is the god of illusion.**

 **Review please!**


End file.
